When you think about branding, your mind naturally jumps to a product, brand, or even a business. Now people like chefs, entrepreneurs, even architects brand themselves but, what about branding historical events?
Well, they already have. Some of our most beloved, and most lauded historical events have had some “brand makeovers” over the years.
Today marks the 246th Anniversary of “The Boston Tea Party.”
To begin with, NO ONE and we mean NO One, who was alive at the time, nor for decades after, referred to the night of Dec. 16th as “The Boston Tea Party.” And, that goes for everyone aboard the ships in the harbor, the very people tossing tea, nor anyone even alive in the Colonies at that point, referred to the events as “The Boston Tea Party.”
Wait what? Well hold your hold onto your Starbucks because, the term “Party” doesn’t mean what you think either!
Growing up, for most of us when we heard “Party” we conjured an image of colonists, dressed as Native Americans, dancing on the decks of ships tossing boxes of tea, or even teabags (guilty) overboard.
That’s the “party” right? Wrong.
A Tea Party by Any Other Name
The first documented use of the term “Boston Tea Party,” was in 1825. It can be found the obituary of Nicholas Campbell. In it, he was referenced as being part of ‘the ever-memorable Boston Tea Party.’
That means, “party” is a reference to the group of men as in, “how many in your party,” as opposed to a celebration and dancing colonists!
The term “Boston Tea Party” packs a punch; it’s short, memorable and really sticks in your head.
That leaves us wondering, would the events, which happened on this day in 1773, still be as memorable to so many school children if they were referred to as George Washington did, the “Destruction of Tea in the Boston Harbor?” At the end of the day, branding is just that, giving a name for something, that people can remember and easily communicate. No matter if that something is a shoe, shoe company, person, profession, or even in this case, a historical event.
We encourage everyone to learn more about the events on the night of Dec. 16th, 1773. For that very reason, we’ve pulled together some links to great info on the Boston Tea Party, which are included within this article.