The Shoemaker and the Tea Party

Download or read book The Shoemaker and the Tea Party written by Alfred F. Young and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 2001-01-17 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: George Robert Twelves Hewes, a Boston shoemaker who participated in such key events of the American Revolution as the Boston Massacre and the Tea Party, might have been lost to history if not for his longevity and the historical mood of the 1830's. When the Tea Party became a leading symbol of the Revolutionary ear fifty years after the actual event, this 'common man' in his nineties was 'discovered' and celebrated in Boston as a national hero. Young pieces together this extraordinary tale, adding new insights about the role that individual and collective memory play in shaping our understanding of history.