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Aug 20, 1191
Eisai Spreads Tea to Japan
In 1191, the Buddhist monk Eisai wrote a book praising tea for its health benefits and took it to Japan. The book included up-to-date accounts of Chinese knowledge about the growing, preparation, picking, and drinking procedures of tea. And the procedures were especially intricate, spiritual, and ritualistic in Japan. Japanese tea ceremonies were, and still are, one of the most important representations of the importance of tea and custom to the people of many Asian countries. -
Aug 20, 1557
The Portuguese Established Cantonese Trading Post
The Chinese had a very successful and advanced culture, and they totally knew it. They took xenophobia really far and really didn't want any sort of interaction with any of the other foreign countries. The Portuguese trading post on Macao in the Canton
estuary was the hub for all the goods that would be allowed out of China. For a long time, even traders like the Dutch had to go through a middleman before even this point. Pictured is a 1700's painting of a trading post, or "hong," in Macao. -
Dutch Ships Bring Commercial Tea to Europe
When this commercial shipment came in, tea was still new to Europeans and it took a few more decades to really spread. Immediately people began to take note of the medicinal uses for tea, but because of its prices, it was more of a luxury item and took a while to become popular. Of course, tea would become most popular in Britain, where it arrived in the 1650's. Pictured is the seal of the Dutch East India Company -
The Marriage of Charles II to Portuguese Catherine of Braganza
Catherine of Braganza was the daughter of King John IV of Portugal. Her large dowry included the Portuguese trading posts in Tanger and Bombay. She was really into drinking tea, and she caused drinking tea out of tiny teacups to become a fashionable practice for women in the aristocracy. Catherine, with the British East India Company, played a huge part in sparking and spreading tea's immense British popularity. Pictured is Catherine herself in all her regal glory. -
Twining Opens His Tea Shop
Thomas Twining opened a tea only shop geared towards women in London. Women at the time couldn't go to men-only coffeehouses or send off to get their luxury items, so many women liked to go sip tea or take some home! Most importantly, the example shown by the Twinings logo is one of the oldest commercial logos still in use, which show significance in the spread of modern consumerism. Pictured is the original Twinings tea shop, still running today! -
Vauxhall Gardens Opens
In addition to the start of extravagant tea parties (very much so Western versions of what they did in Asia), tea gardens like Vauxhall Gardens brought new tradition to tea and social life. These gardens were more than just flirting fairs, they were places where women could go as well as men. Leveling this field was a larger step to tea becoming available to everyone, even the very poor classes and servants. Pictured is a painting of the Vauxhall Gardens. -
Richard Arkwright's First Spinning Mill
Generally speaking, Arkwright's inventions were the stuff that began the Industrial Revolution that pushed the world into a modern life, especially in Britain. Famously it occurred in Britain. This has something to do with tea at all because tea was once a consumer product. However, the Industrial Revolution also marked the beginning of a real consumer, commercial society. By this point, not only was tea a household necesity, but heavy machinery also made things like tea services required. -
The Boston Tea Party
The British East India Company was sending tea direct from China to the colonies in mass due to their own large and expensive stockpiles, making the Tea Act that would give the company another monopoly. However, the colonists didn't like the British interference or tax. Later that year, angry colonists dressed as Mohawks dumped all the tea in the harbor. This caused the Coercive Acts from the British, which further angered the Americans. Overall, tea that sparked the American Revolution! -
The American Revolutionary War Begins
There's not a lot else to say about this because we WON and we are a free nation. However, it was triggered in a large part by the events like the Boston Tea Party and the taxations without representation. Pictured is a bald eagle because America. -
The East India Company Removes All Their Monopolies on Asian Trade
Due to corruption, overexpansion, and Adam Smith's free-trade market ideas, the East India Company removed all monopolies on Asian trade, even in China. This caused bickering (and eventually the Opium war to be honest) between British and Cantonese governments over the trade rules. However, because of the end of this monopoly, the company also decided to spend more time looking into supplying from India to reduce reliance on China. -
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The Opium War
Because of their bad payment balance with China, Britain needed to make an opium trade to have silver to trade for tea. The opium had to be made, traded, and smuggled all offshore. The government had become corrupt, but China wanted the trade to end, setting fire to the opium and expelling the British. However, it was an embarrassing defeat by the Chinese, who had fallen in power under the British empire. Pretty much, tea led to drugs which led to the end of China and more power to Britain. -
The Indian Mutiny
India has easily passed China as Britain's main supplier of tea. As triggered by an earilier revolt, the Indian Mutiny was an uprising against the rule of the East India Company. Because of this incident, British government had to assert direct control over India. Most importantly, this led to the abolishment of the East India Company altogether. However, India is still the leading tea producer in the whole wide world today! Pictured is an artist's rendition of the Indian Mutiny. -
The First Tax on Tea
One indicator that tea was so popular during the Tang dynasty's rule was because it was in 780 that the first tea tax was imposed. A millenium later, tea taxes would start causing problems! Pictured is Emperor Shen Nung, alleged to have brewed the first cup of tea when legend has it the "wind blew leaves into his water." However, this was back between around 2737-2697 BCE. But Timetoast doesn't allow anything before 0. Making Note! -
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The Tang Dynasty
Tea was originally used as practically a medicine, but during the Tang Dynasty and this golden age for China, people recognized the other benefits of tea. Tea was healthier and safer than most drinks, which allowed populations to boom. It became a staple for trade and economy and even a currency. After the Mongols took over, it didn't really become popular again until the Ming dynasty rose in the 14th century.
