By David Fleet
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Ortonville — On the night of Dec. 16, 1773, a single, non-violent act caused a great stir in London and throughout the colonies. The Tea Party was the spark that created unity among colonists to stand up to the King’s tyranny.
On Monday night the Michigan Color Guard from the Sons of American Revolution along with area residents gathered at the Brandon Township Public Library remembering the 250th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.
“I wanted to do this program for several reasons,” said Jay R. Taylor, SAR member and Brandon Township resident. “Over the years, our country has moved further from understanding why American colonists fought for independence. The fighting began after many years of increasingly oppressive laws, taxes, and restrictions from England.”
The event 250 years ago told the English King that the divided colonists would band together to push back on being told what they could and couldn’t do. Ultimately, this led to the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
“The Sons of the American Revolution’s Paul Emery Chapter has a mission to keep the spirit alive and celebrate key events of that struggle,” said Taylor. They do it by putting on patriotic, historical, and educational programs like this one. These events about our past help strengthen our democracy and unite people.”