In the United States today, coffee is a
more popular drink {{U}}(1) {{/U}} tea, but tea played {{U}}(2)
{{/U}} interesting part in the history of the United States. Before they won
their {{U}}(3) {{/U}} from Britain, the colonists were forced to
{{U}}(4) {{/U}} taxes on many goods imported into America. The tax money
was {{U}}(5) {{/U}} to support colonial governors and officials sent to
the colonies by the British. In 1770 the British Prime Minister had repealed
most of the taxes, but King George {{U}}(6) {{/U}} on retaining the tax
{{U}}(7) {{/U}} tea. The King saw the tax as a {{U}}(8) {{/U}}
of the British right to tax the colonies. American merchants {{U}}(9)
{{/U}} smuggled nine-tenths of America's tea into the country and
{{U}}(10) {{/U}} paying the taxes. {{U}} (11)
{{/U}} the tax savings, the price of tea remained expensive due. to
{{U}}(12) {{/U}} shipping costs. When the British Parliament
{{U}}(13) {{/U}} a new law which would allow British companies to import
tea more {{U}}(14) {{/U}} than American shipping companies, the
{{U}}(15) {{/U}} were alarmed and they {{U}}(16) {{/U}} a
protest. In Boston citizens and merchants, who {{U}}(17) {{/U}}
disguised as Indians, boarded a British ship and {{U}}(18) {{/U}} ＄15000
worth of tea into the harbor. This protest {{U}}(19) {{/U}} Great
Britain is known as the Boston Tea Party. It was one of the earliest acts of
{{U}}(20) {{/U}} against British rule.