Episode 16: The Tea

About this episode

This episode discusses the events leading to the Boston Tea Party and the impact of tea trade on colonial America.

British Americans' unquenchable thirst for tea and a looming financial disaster for the East India Company leads to a new crisis in North America when seven tea-laden ships are sent to the colonies in 1773, inspiring Bostonians to dump much of the cargo in Boston Harbor. Featuring: Benjamin Carp, James Fichter, Deepthi Murali, and Mary Beth Norton. Voice Actors: Craig Gallagher, Margaret Hughes, Grace Mallon, Norman Rodger, Annabelle Spencer, and John Turner. Narrated by Dr. Jim Ambuske. Music by Artlist.io This episode was made possible with support from a 2024 grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities. Help other listeners find the show by leaving a 5-Star Rating and Review on Apple , Spotify , Podchaser , or our website . Follow the series on Facebook or Instagram . Worlds Turned Upside Down is a production of R2 Studios at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University.

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Jim Ambuske

Guests: Benjamin Carp, James Fichter, Deepthi Murali, Mary Beth Norton

Topics covered

• American history
• tea trade
• Boston Tea Party
• East India Company
• colonial America

Keywords

• Boston Tea Party
• tea
• East India Company
• 1773
• colonial crisis

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Artlist.io, National Endowment of the Humanities, Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Places: Boston Harbor

More episodes of Worlds Turned Upside Down

• Episode 23: The Liberation · January 27, 2026 · 1h 1m
• Episode 22: The Siege · December 16, 2025 · 1h 7m
• Episode 21: The Vengeance · November 25, 2025 · 1h 18m
• Episode 20: The Rebellion · October 28, 2025 · 1h 9m
• Episode 19: The Gambit · September 23, 2025 · 1h 11m
• Episode 18: The Resurrection · August 26, 2025 · 1h 1m