Welcome to Revival Radio TV. I'm Gene Bailey, and I've invited Greg Stevens to be here with me today to talk about an important event in American history. Why? Because it's the 250th anniversary, and it happened in Boston, December 1773. Let's just say it was more than a tempest in a teapot. In fact, it was brewing a revolution. Greg, you might say we've actually been spilling the tea since 1773. This was the spark that lit the torch of liberty.
It was one of the most daring, most consequential events in American history. It was bigger than Boston, but it's no surprise that it happened in Boston, remember? Boston was John Winthrop's city on a hill, and Boston becomes the cradle of liberty. So what are we talking about? The Boston Tea Party like you've never heard it before. On today's edition of Revival Radio TV. In every generation, there have been revivals, massive moves of the Spirit that changed the course of history.
In every revival, there were believers like you who chose to answer the call to become the one their generation discover your call to be the one in your generation. As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, it's imperative that we reflect on this pivotal event that really marked a turning point in American history.
Like Greg said, December 16th, 1773, a group of colonists fueled by grievances against British taxation without representation, covertly boarded ships and threw tea into the Boston Harbor. This act of defiance, now known as the Boston Tea Party, would reverberate far beyond the harbor waters, becoming the actual spark that ignited the flames of the American Revolution. Now, the Boston Tea Party wasn't merely an isolated act of protest against taxation. It was born out of the deep sea.
Frustration and resistance of the American colonists against perceived injustice. And it wasn't a coincidence that it began in Boston, the city on a hill. It was these patriots. They were actually the grandsons of the pilgrims. Now, they carried these ideas and these principles deep in their heart. It was these men that ingrained Godly and biblical principles that were willing to stand up and take a stand for liberty.
It symbolizes the moment when colonial dissent transformed into a collective movement for independence, shaping the course of a revolution that would ultimately lead to the birth of a new nation. In the frosty night air of December 16, 1773. The stage was set for a defining moment in the lead up to the American Revolution, the Boston Tea Party.
To understand the gravity of this event, we must delve into the context of British policies, particularly their attempts to recoup the financial burdens incurred during the French and Indian War. As the echoes of war faded, Britain found itself laden with debt. The British government, seeking ways to alleviate this financial strain, turned its attention to the American colonies.
The Sugar Act of 1764 and the Stamp Act of 1765 were early attempts to extract revenue, imposing duties on various goods and requiring stamped paper for legal documents. However, these measures were met with opposition from the colonists, who argued that they were being taxed without representation in the British Parliament.
The tension escalated with the Townshend Act of 1767, which imposed taxes on imported goods like glass paper and tea colonists, already wary of what they perceived as encroachment on their rights. Resisted the new levies. British troops were dispatched to maintain order, further heightening animosity. The crux of the matter lay in the British perspective on governance.
The British government contended that the colonies, having benefited from British protection during the French and Indian War, should contribute to the expenses of their defense. The turning point came with the Tea Act of 1773, which granted the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies. The colonists viewing this as another infringement on their economic and political liberties, decided that enough was enough.
The stage was set for that December night when a group of colonists disguised themselves as Indians. The harbor witnessed an act of defiance as 342 chests of tea were tossed overboard, marking the culmination of colonial frustration. The colonists, many of whom considered themselves loyal English subjects, felt that their rights as Englishmen were not being respected. The absence of representation in the British political system became a glaring grievance.
Echoing the mantra No taxation without representation. This sentiment became a unifying force, bringing together colonists from different regions in a shared struggle against what they perceived as unjust governance. The rallying cry reverberated through the first Continental Congress in 1774, where delegates articulated their grievances and called for collective action. The Boston Tea Party, though a single event rippled through history, shaping the trajectory of the American Revolution.
It fueled a collective consciousness among the colonists, propelling them towards independence. The Declaration of Independence in 1776 would formalize their separation from British rule, cementing the legacy of a revolution sparked by grievances, a quest for representation and a fervent desire for the recognition of their inherent rights as Englishmen. All right. So great civil disobedience is not a riot. It's not looting. It's not destruction of private property.
The Boston Tea Party itself was done right. A rebellion. Yes. But it was based on principle, not anarchy or mob rule. You know Gene, you're absolutely right. And this is very important for people to know. It's very important for you to know for your children and grandchildren. This is not a riot. They were not looting. No one took any tea. They were not stealing things. This was an organized protest targeting the crown. They didn't hurt anyone and they respected private property.
In fact, they even swept the decks with a broom. When they were done, they left the ships in better shape than when the way they found them. During the event, someone accidentally broke a padlock on one of the ships, and before they left, they went into town and got a new lock. And the replaced the lock that had been broken. I want to point that out because I think it's important. In the last few years we've seen rioting and looting and they've passed it off as political free speech.
But these guys weren't making a political point. They weren't people just behaving in chaos. They weren't hurting anyone. They weren't destroying private property. The Boston Tea Party was a bold act of defiance that ignited the flames of liberty and paved the way for the birth of a new nation. George Washington. So as we commemorate the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, it's an opportunity for us to delve into the reasons for the event.
So you see here we've got our case of tea, and there were five basic grievances. And I have this crate here, but I want you to we're going to take them one at a time. And these tea bags are labeled with one of the grievances the colonists were protesting in this one, Taxation without representation. The fallout from this tax. It'll actually ignite a social revolution, the likes of which we'd never seen. Watch. taxation without representation.
The colonists vehemently opposed the imposition of taxes without any corresponding representation in the decision making apparatus. This fundamental grievance struck at the core of their understanding of governance. The Stamp Act of 1765 and subsequent taxation measures were seen as affronts to the principles of fairness and democratic participation, leading to a growing sense of frustration and disenfranchisement among the colonists.
Now, the King thought that the colonists were acting like petulant children. Greg and he didn't view them as Englishmen. And this became evident in the policies of the Crown. So what did the colonists really mean? Did they consider it a breach of their rights when they said no taxation without representation? Gene the ownership of private property and the right of consenting to taxation, that's fundamental to the Western civilization. It goes all the way back to the Magna Carta, actually.
To demonstrate this, I have copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States so that we can see the objection. The colonists, echoing the Declaration of Independence, argued that the imposition of taxes without their consent, denied them inalienable right to representation.
They contended that the British Crown, by enforcing taxation without colonial input, without us being able to give our input to something violated the fundamental principle that just governments derive their power from the consent of the governed. Gene. The Boston Tea Party, viewed through this lens, was a manifestation of the commitment to the unassailable right to participate in the decisions that directly affect our lives.
The idea of private property is an inalienable God given right and taxation without representation. Well, it's theft. Sure is. George Washington said this. I'll prove this by his quote. He said, What right does King George have to put his hand in my pocket? Well, the colonists viewed the repetitive taxation as a strategy by the crown to erode our liberty. But the Crown just wanted money. They weren't constrained in wanting it either. This is what sparked the English Civil War.
God given rights, individual liberties, Representative government and the foundation. This is our foundation, so foundation of America. And these principles are what fueled the revolution to defend these very rights. The Boston Tea Party was a resounding declaration that Americans would not be silent victims of unjust rule. Samuel Adams So our next point is trade restrictions. The British were interrupting free enterprise, which was also seen as an infringement on their fundamental rights.
Trade restrictions, British policies place taxes on imported goods such as glass, paper and tea. Hindering the economic progress of the American colonies. These trade restrictions curtailed the colonies ability to engage in open commerce. This stifled economic growth and limited opportunities for prosperity. The colonists saw these measures not only as economic burdens, but also as attempts to control their economic activities for the sole benefit of the British Empire.
Greg, how did the colonists see this? Well, we have good insight on it with the Declaration of Independence. The emphasis on the pursuit of happiness resonated with the colonists. Perspectives on trade restrictions limiting colonial economic opportunities impeded the pursuit of happiness by hindering economic growth and prosperity.
See, the Boston Tea Party within this context can be seen as an act of economic self-defense, a symbolic gesture against policies that curtailed the colonists abilities to engage in free and open commerce. The declarations on wording of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness comes originally for John Locke's second or treatise of government or to treaties of government. Thomas Jefferson actually changed Locke's words from pursuit of property to pursuit of happiness.
So this concept is deeply rooted in the pursuit of profit, which is viewed as private property. And of course, we know it has biblical roots as well. You can find it over at 2 Thessalonians 3:10-13, says, If anyone will not work, neither shall he. Remember what Bradford and the Plymouth Pilgrims found out when communal property and it didn't work out so well. Men are motivated by the ability to profit off of their own labor because of fall in human nature.
If men aren't compelled, they won't work. And this is why communism doesn't work. The Boston Tea Party was not just an act of protest. It was a symbol of the indomitable spirit of a people unwilling to bow to unjust authority. Thomas Jefferson. So this next one is a big one, Greg. In fact, it's so big it actually went into the constitution. Troops, its troops. I can't be required by the federal government to house troops in my house or give my house over to the military.
But I also it's right here. It's an article 4. I am not allowed. They're not allowed to search my house without a warrant. You cannot just bust the door down and take over my house. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? All right. Watch this. Presence of British troops. The quartering act and the deployment of British troops in the colonies without colonial consent fueled resentment among the colonists.
The physical presence of these troops, ostensibly there to maintain order, was perceived as an infringement on colonial autonomy and a constant reminder of British control. This military presence contributed significantly to the growing animosity between the colonists and the British Crown. Greg They forced private citizens. This is. This is like history repeating itself, but they forced private citizens to house their troops. Can you imagine?
And they turned their this this they turned the church in Boston into a place to house to actually use it as a stable for their horse. You couldn't have church, so they shut down our ability to worship. Kind of reminds me of. yeah. Of a time here where churches were not essential. No, no. Their horses were more important. It wasn't just a practical matter of housing troops, though. It was meant like you just said.
It was an insult. It was a meant to say We're from the government and you're going to do what we say. And the colonists aligning with the Declaration right here. The Declaration of Independence. The assertion of our right to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, the presence of the troops was an opposition to that. It was a threat to our well-being. Imagine if they could knock on your door and kick you out of your own home, out of your bedroom. We're now going to sleep here.
This will now become our property. The quartering act and the stationing of troops were viewed as an infringement on the right to live free from an unwarranted intrusion of a standing army. The Boston Tea Party, from this perspective, was a nonviolent expression of the determination to secure the basic right for a peaceful existence. The revolution was effected before the war commenced. The revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people.
A change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations. John Adams. All right, let's move on to our colonial rights. Okay. Let me be part of throwing something overboard here. Yeah. Okay, Here we go. There's your rights. It's one that protects our free speech. And the truth is, the crown even smashed printing presses to control free speech. It's so unusual to me that what we're dealing with today, as we're going through all of this on today's program.
I know you're doing what I'm doing. You're going, wow, We're repeating what they had to deal with all over again. That's the First Amendment. That's the first violations of the right of privacy, such as searches and seizures without proper warrants. All of it contributed to the discontent as the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. Watch this.
Violations of rights and liberties, colonial rights and liberties were perceived to be under threat as British authorities engaged in searches and seizures without proper warrants. The Writs of Assistance, for example, granted broad powers to officials leading to invasive practices that undermined the colonists sense of privacy and personal freedom.
These perceived violations intensified the colonists dissatisfaction and fueled their determination to resist what they saw as overreaching British authority. Greg, isn't this just another one of our rights that goes all the way back to the Magna Carta?
It's does it absolutely goes back there because the framers of the Constitution and in particular the drafters of the Bill of Rights, were mindful of large portions of that Magna Carta and were strongly indebted to a long English and colonial legal heritage. The Declaration's reference to inalienable rights, including the right to liberty, encapsulates the colonists grievances against the violations of the rights and liberties.
Parliament acts like the writs of assistance allowing unwarranted search and seizures allowed British soldiers to inspect shops, warehouses and private homes. Well, you know what they were looking for, guys. They were looking for weapons. So there's your Second Amendment. These were all perceived as encroachments on the liberty of the colonists. The destruction of tea in Boston Harbor symbolizes a resistance against oppressive measures that threaten our inherent rights as Americans.
Is life so dear or so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? God forbid it. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death. Patrick Henry. All right, so now it makes us to our fifth bag. Go ahead, Greg. Hand it to me. Government final grievance. You know, Greg, when we talk about government, there's so much that we have to learn about how it happened then and how it relates to now. Watch this Lack of self-governance.
The desire for greater autonomy and control over local affairs was a central tenet of colonial discontent. Colonists sought the ability to govern themselves and make decisions that directly impacted their communities without interference from the British government. Acts like the coercive acts of 1774 were viewed as direct assaults on this quest for self-determination.
The call for increased self-governance became a rallying cry as colonists challenged the British Crown's interference in their internal affairs. You know, Greg. Self-Governance really seems self-explanatory, but the underlying principle here really is a biblical one. it absolutely is biblical. It's straight out of the Book of Deuteronomy. Israel's ancient constitution. That's the way our founders saw it. That would make it the oldest constitution in the history of the world.
And the founders used it as an example of representative government because God is the source of our rights. That makes them inalienable. Meaning man didn't grant the rights. So man can't take my rights away. That's also echoed in the Magna Carta and in the English Constitution, as spelled out so eloquently in our Declaration of Independence.
The principle that governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed that formed the basis of our colonists and their demand for greater autonomy. So, Gene the Boston Tea Party, within that framework, becomes a potent statement against British interference in our local affairs colonies. Saw the right to govern themselves, and this act of protest was a declaration of their resolve to resist external control and forge our own destiny.
You know, Greg, the the Boston Tea Party was really the spark that lit the torch of freedom. If we really want to kind of nail this down as we start to pull this together before we go today, it's why it's important for us to understand our rights and how we can keep that torch burning bright. Because you and I, we know what's going on in our nation. We're gonna talk a little bit more about that. But let's continue this on the lighter side about what happened, Greg.
I heard a funny story that took place during the American bicentennial right here in Boston. The queen was a part of the celebration and the mayor of Boston presented her a check. She brought her a check for the cost of the tea in true American form. But she turned it down and she officially forgave the debt.
However, that same day they were on the deck of the USS Constitution and she noticed a lot of the guns there have the logo are for George Rex because they had been actually captured from the British. And she said, we must talk to our minister of defense when we get back home. Gene, I think that's hilarious. And the queen's has great sense of humor. But I want to I want to share one more thing before we go.
I have a book in my hand that many of us were required to read when we were in high school. The book is basically the story of the American Revolution, is told through the eyes of a 14 year old boy, Johnny Tremain, an apprentice silversmith at the Paul Revere Silversmith shop. It's one of my favorites. And, you know, there's one of my favorite quotes from that story is “Free men will never give up the means to defend their liberties.”
So the book includes the story of the Boston Tea Party through the eyes of those who participated. Now, it is historical fiction, but it's very accurate. Captures the true story of many historical figures in Boston during that time. It's so well written. Then in the 1950s, Disney made a movie about it. I think every person in America, especially our children, should read this book again. It will kindle that fire in us again. I pray it will. Let me leave you with a quote from the book.
Listen to this. We give all we have lives, property and safety skill. We fight. We die for one simple thing freedom. The story is now the stuff of legend that deserves to be told. But, Greg, before we go, we need to wrap this whole program up. So we're looking you know, this is Revival Radio TV, and we talk about how revival fits in here.
But really, this was one of the struggles that we had when we started Victory News and Flash Point about how does this all fit and how does it coordinate with revival? If we don't take care of this, we won't have the rights to be able in government and and troops come into our lives. Here's your first five free speech, right to bear arms. You can't have your house invaded by a federal government or a government. All of these things are things we see in the news on Victory News every day.
They're there in our Constitution. And I really believe that the federal government is terrified of we, the people. And you see you see that today. I mean, the things they fought for, the things we're facing again. Well, we you and I, both have been censored many times on social media and other outlets. And, you know, I look at I'm looking at government and rights, even taxation. You know, there is a move out there to keep people away. They don't want you.
You know, human nature is what I'm referring to. Human nature wants to control it. Always wants to control. So what you see, what we've talked about today, what happened in Boston is that such story keeps being played out through history, no matter what nation it is. It seems like we keep seeing this over and over and over again. Man tries to take over and control an outcome and the people stand up and say, no, you're not going to do this.
They wanted a limited government, government at the lowest level. Instead of coming all from one place, Washington, D.C. trade. You remember during COVID when they picked the winners and losers, what businesses could stay open and what businesses could not stay open. You could have church and Home Depot, but you couldn't have it at church. You know, people were doing that. You could go to the liquor store. You could have a have church service in a liquor store. Don't recommend that.
But you could I mean, these are the things that we had to deal with as a nation now. I know you agree with me on this. I never I never thought we would get that far so fast, which makes me think about Ronald Reagan's speech. President Reagan, about freedoms only, you know, less than one generation away. This is why they don't teach this book. This is why they don't teach these documents. That's right.
Or they try to thwart what the what was behind the documents or dismiss them as, here's what they do. They'll say that all of the people who signed this and here are all the signatures for you to look at. Well, those were slaveowners and they were racists and they were bad. Now it's time we believe in the principles of the document. If you can't believe in the print, then the people themselves believe in the principle and what they wanted to see.
We live on this side of what they fought for, what they threw tea over the board for, and it's our responsibility now. They've handed it off to us. We have to hand it off to the next generation because these are not guaranteed. They are not guaranteed. I think all of us here in America would absolutely agree.
While all of this stuff we've had to deal with in a resurgence in our government so today I want you to understand all that we've talked about with George Washington and our founding fathers and how we got our Constitution. It all goes back to Scripture. Everything that John Locke’s two treatises, the government, the Magna Carta, there's so much scripture woven in there, If we will embrace what our founding fathers did. Greg, and with these documents that were not.
I say they're not just penned by man. They're written by the divine hand of God. And some of these amendments, the Bill of Rights, those things are divinely inspired. And Kenneth Copeland has reminded us we have a covenant. That's one of those three that was two pastors, both made covenant in Mayflower and in Virginia, I forget. Yeah. And then and then George Washington is the president of the United States. Did the exact same thing. You will be our God and we will be your people. So let's pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you, Lord, for everyone watching today. Help us to not just remember where we came from and those that have gone before us to secure our rights. But let us stand up, embrace the God given liberties that this nation was founded upon so that we can reach the world for you. Now father, we pray for our government. We pray for those who are in charge, whether they were there legally or not.
We pray, Father, for the right people to be in the right positions at the right time so that we can see this nation turn back to God. Thanks, Greg, for being here. We'll see you next time on Revival Radio. Thanks, Boston -MUSIC-