ST. GEORGE — The Boston Tea Party, a pivotal moment in America’s history, was recently commemorated on its 250th anniversary with a grand-scale reenactment that took place in Boston Harbor on Dec. 16. It was a monumental project organized and led by the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum.
In the months leading up to the event, organizers launched a “Dump the Tea into the Sea” campaign. Their goal was to collect enough loose tea to fill 342 wooden chests that would later be used for their reenactment ceremony. The call for donations was met with an overwhelming response from every corner of the nation.
All 11 chapters of the Utah State Society Daughters of the American Revolution sent tea, said Valerie King, the organization’s America 250! state committee co-chair.
“We may be the only state in the entire nation who achieved 100% DAR chapter participation,” remarked King in a press release issued to St. George News.
King said tea donations were also made by the Utah State Society Children of the American Revolution and St. George’s Jemima Johnson Society Children of the American Revolution, as well as the Red Cliffs of Zion Chapter Sons of the American Revolution, also based in St. George. These donations provided an amazing way for Utah to participate in this commemorative anniversary celebration from afar, she added.
Connie Jellison, member of the Color Country Chapter DAR, is credited for bringing the need for tea to King’s attention. Jellison collected tea from local DAR members, while King expanded the operation to include all Utah DAR chapters and encouraged state and local Sons of the American Revolution and Children of the American Revolution organizations to join in as well.
Several pounds of tea from Utah arrived in Boston by the Dec. 1, 2023 deadline and were included in the reenactment event.
The Boston Tea Party’s milestone anniversary celebrated at Southern Utah events
The first event took place at the St. George Tabernacle on Dec. 15, 2023, where guests gathered to learn more about the historical significance of the Boston Tea Party and its role in the American Revolution. About 75 people attended.
The featured speaker was Jeff McKenna, a local estate planning attorney, author of “Saving Dr. Warren … A True Patriot” and the current president of the local Sons of the American Revolution chapter. McKenna, who dressed as Dr. Joseph Warren, a prominent figure in the planning of the Boston Tea Party, gave a stirring presentation on the events that led to the historic moment from Warren’s perspective.
Fellow Sons of the American Revolution chapter members joined McKenna, wearing colonial uniforms in honor of the occasion. Ladies from the Color Country Chapter DAR supported the event by greeting guests and distributing programs.
Through McKenna’s presentation, attendees gained a much deeper understanding and a greater appreciation of the role the Boston Tea Party played in the fight for American independence and how it served as a powerful unifying force for the American colonies, King said.
Local Sons of the American Revolution member Peter Hansen organized this event with LDS church officials and generously donated 20 signed copies of McKenna’s novel as giveaways to guests in attendance. All attendees received a handout containing a link to a free digital audio version of the young adult historical fiction novel.
Before departing, guests were invited to take a commemorative photo in front of the “ship deck” backdrop provided by the DAR, and each guest was gifted a tea bag from the Boston Harbor Tea Company, a symbolic memento from the Sons of the American Revolution.
To learn more about McKenna’s novel highlighting the life of Dr. Joseph Warren, a forgotten hero of the American Revolution, visit jefferyjmckenna.com.
Local families linked to Boston Tea Party participants
The Red Cliffs of Zion Sons of the American Revolution sponsored a second interactive event at the Family Search Center on Dec. 16, 2023, with assistance provided by the Color Country Chapter DAR and Jemima Johnson Society Children of the American Revolution members. Visitors were greeted and offered tea, cookies and fun photo opportunities.
Over 100 visitors attended, with volunteers on hand to help determine if their family ancestors were among the list of Boston Tea Party participants. Once identified, visitors could then link these names to their own family trees. As a bonus, a complimentary printout of their lineage was offered after the connections were made.
Some visitors were pleasantly surprised to find newly revealed “cousins” who were also there to conduct ancestral searches. Among them was DAR member Karen Sorensen, who made a remarkable discovery. She found an ancestor patriot who dumped tea into the Boston Harbor back in 1773, a completely unexpected but very exciting revelation. The fact that other visitors had similar experiences made this event even more of a triumphal success, King said.
The Boston Tea Party reenactment drew thousands near and far
As Southern Utahns celebrated locally, thousands flocked to Boston Harbor from both near and far to witness the impressive reenactment of the Boston Tea Party. Among the enthusiastic attendees was Kathryn Asay, vice president general of the National Society DAR and a member of Utah’s Wasatch Range Chapter. She described the experience as unforgettable and was thrilled she made the journey. It was a frigid evening, not unlike the chilly weather that those American patriots encountered when they spilled the tea back in 1773.
To learn more on your own about the Boston Tea Party, visit this link.
Photo Gallery
A historical reenactment commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, Boston, Mass., Dec. 16, 2023 | Photo courtesy Kathryn Asay, St. George News
A historical reenactment commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, Boston, Mass., Dec. 16, 2023 | Photo courtesy Kathryn Asay, St. George News
A historical reenactment commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, Boston, Mass., Dec. 16, 2023 | Photo courtesy Kathryn Asay, St. George News
A historical reenactment commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, Boston, Mass., Dec. 16, 2023 | Photo courtesy Kathryn Asay, St. George News
Red Cliffs of Zion Chapter SAR and Color Country Chapter DAR members attend the Boston Tea Party 250th anniversary presentation at the St. George Tabernacle, St. George, Utah, Dec. 15, 2023 | Photo courtesy Valerie King, St. George News
Color Country Chapter DAR member Connie Jellison preparing tea for shipment to Boston, location not specified, Nov. 19, 2023 | Photo courtesy Valerie King, St. George News
Color Country Chapter DAR member Kathryn Ragan handing a memento tea bag to a guest at the Boston Tea Party 250th anniversary presentation, St. George, Utah, Dec. 15, 2023 | Photo courtesy Valerie King, St. George News
Red Cliffs of Zion Chapter SAR members Phil Page and Mark Woodbury holding their collection of tea going to Boston, location and date not specified | Photo courtesy Jeff McKenna, St. George News
Members from the Color Country Chapter DAR and Jemima Johnson Society CAR with their tea donations headed to Boston, St. George, Utah, Nov. 14, 2023 | Photo courtesy Valerie King, St. George News
Visitors to the Boston Tea Party 250th anniversary event at the Family Search Center, St. George, Utah, Dec. 16, 2023 | Photo courtesy John Arnold, St. George News
Red Cliffs of Zion Chapter SAR members Peter Hansen (left) and Jeff McKenna attend the Boston Tea Party 250th anniversary event at the Family Search Center, St. George, Utah, Dec. 16, 2023 | Photo courtesy John Arnold, St. George News
Local author and Red Cliffs of Zion Chapter SAR president Jeff McKenna speaks at the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party in St. George, Utah, Dec. 15, 2023 | Photo courtesy Valerie King, St. George News
Color Country Chapter DAR member Karen Sorensen attends the Boston Tea Party 250th anniversary event at the Family Search Center, St. George, Utah, Dec. 16, 2023 | Photo courtesy John Arnold, St. George News
DAR Vice President General Kathryn Asay (left) with Color Country Chapter DAR member Valerie King. at the Color Country Chapter Christmas Luncheon, St. George, Utah, Dec. 12, 2023 | Photo courtesy Valerie King, St. George News
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