A Social History of Tea

Book excerpt: British writer and tea historian Jane Pettigrew has joined forces again with American tea writer Bruce Richardson to chronicle the fascinating story of tea's influence on British and American culture, commerce and community spanning nearly four centuries. These two leading tea professionals have seen first-hand the current tea renaissance sweeping modern culture and have written over two dozen books on the subject of tea, including The New Tea Companion. No beverage has shaped Western civilization more than the ancient elixir - tea. Follow tea's amazing journey from Canton to London, Boston and beyond as these two leaders of today's tea renaissance weave a fascinating story detailing how the leaves of a simple Asian plant shaped the culture and politics of both the United Kingdom and the United States. CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY: First Tea in England * East India Company * America's Thirst for Tea * Tea Jars & Caddies THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY: Teas for Sale * Tea Smuggling * Tea Etiquette * Liberty Tea * Boston Tea Party THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: An Empire Built on Tea * Jane Austen's Tea Things * Afternoon Tea * Glasgow Tea Movement * Tea & Suffrage THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: Teabags * The Tea Room Movement * Wartime Tea * Rise of American Tea Brands * Tea Dances * Specialty Tea THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY The American Teasmith * Tea & Health * The Starbucks Effect * Culinary Tea