A Wee Bit of Belfast Bound for Boston Tea Party...

13 December 2023

An Ulster-Scots delegation is heading to New England this week to bring a wee bit of Belfast to the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the iconic Boston Tea Party.

Thousands are expected to gather at Boston Harbour on Saturday for a reenactment of the events of 16th December 1773, when American colonists famously dumped a shipment of tea overboard in protest at London passing laws that imposed trade barriers on them and subjected them to laws over which they had no say, effectively treating them as second-class citizens.  London's refusal to afford them equal British rights eventually led to the American Revolution. 

Ulster-Scots Agency Chief Executive Ian Crozier said, "The Boston Tea Party is an iconic event on the road to American independence and like many such events, it has a significant Ulster-Scots dimension. In celebration of the part played by the Ulster-Scots diaspora, we are bringing tea from Belfast-based SD Bell & Co (founded 1887),  Ireland's oldest independent tea blenders and coffee roasters,  which will be presented at the Boston Tea Party and Historic Ships Museum and later used alongside tea from around the world to recreate the historic event."

Several leading Boston 'Sons of Liberty' - the group that orchestrated the protest, had Ulster-Scots roots, including Thomas Young who led the operation, brothers Robert and Charles Jameson, who helped throw the tea into the sea; and Hugh Williamson who brought news of the events to London and warned the government that retribution would result in revolution.

As well as attending the historic commemorations, the Ulster-Scots delegation has a packed schedule of meetings planned with key cultural, economic and social organisations, several of which are involved in the Belfast-Boston Sister Cities Network.  Ian Crozier added, "This visit isn't just about commemorating the past, it's also about planning for the future, making connections that are good for Ulster-Scots and good for Northern Ireland. The 250th anniversary of American Independence is coming in July 2026 and there are a whole series of big anniversaries between now and then.  We've got a great opportunity, but in order to make the most of it we need to get organised and that starts now."

The visit builds on the success of an Ulster-Scots Agency initiative over the summer which saw over 3,000 people visiting the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast to view an original Declaration of Independence and accompanying exhibition explaining the role of the Ulster-Scots and their Scotch-Irish diaspora in events leading up to 4th July 1776.  The exhibition was opened by US Special Envoy Joe Kennedy III just days after President Joe Biden praised the role of the Ulster-Scots community in the foundation of his country. 

Photo: Ulster-Scots Agency CEO Ian Crozier and Ulster-Scots broadcaster Mark Thompson collecting tea from Robert Bell of SD Bell & Co.