Boston Tea Party Research Paper

Words: 790
Pages: 4

Since declaring independence in 1776 America has been a peculiar country. Peculiar in that America was the first country with a government established on the principle that power would be equally balanced with no sole person in complete control. The entire concept was completely counter-cultural to a world of kings, queens and dynasties. The balance of power and freedoms guaranteed by that balance attracted peoples who had been oppressed for generations and brought them over to the land of freedom. One particularly counter cultural idea America was founded on is known as the first amendment, granting citizens the right to free speech, freedom of religion, free press and the freedom to petition. America is incredibly blessed as few nations were …show more content…
Just under three years before the Declaration of Independence and roughly fifteen years before the first amendment was written, Samuel Adams and “the sons of liberty” threw three hundred forty-two chests of tea into the harbor to protest injustice. What injustice could justify such a grand waste of resources? Lack of representation, or as is commonly taught in history classes, “taxation without representation.” Adams and his men felt that being subjected to laws and taxes while having no representation was unjust and that it was time for England to take the colonists into account. Arguably harming property isn’t entirely civil, however the idea is still present. People, civilians as well as military, were unharmed and the message that the colonies were not going to be subjected to oppressive behavior was still clearly sent to those in power in England. If it hadn’t been for Adams and his men dumping tea off the side of a ship, perhaps we wouldn’t have an America today. If it hadn’t been for that disobedience, that resistance to injustice, our world may not have the same freedoms as it does …show more content…
As children we are taught about the atrocities committed by the Nazis and the horrors within the walls of concentration camps. However, one thing not all students learn about is the brave citizens who hid Jews from the Nazis, despite the illegality of their actions. The sheltering of Jews from Nazis was, generally speaking, a civil act and it was disobedient, it was illegal and many families lost their lives in attempts to save Jews. One family that was destroyed for their civil disobedience was the Ten Boom family. Of the entire family, only one, Corrie Ten Boom, survived. The Ten Booms believed that what the Germans were doing was wrong, that it was their God ordained job to rescue and protect the Jews. They saw something that was wrong and refused to stand idly by, regardless of their own personal cost. While technically the Netherlands was an occupied country, German Laws were enforced and therefore makes what the Ten Booms and many others did peaceful resistance to perhaps some of the most unjust laws and governments that has ever