Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Early America And Native Natural Teas

First a bit of history:



Back in the early days of America's history, the colonies were always in a battle with the wants of King George III, and the British, wanting to make money off the colonists.



The first attempts at imposing taxes included the West Indian Molasses Tax in 1733. Then put in place by George Greenville, King George's minister, in 1764, was a tax on sugar.



This effort was imposed because a good deal of molasses was made into rum, and the rum was used to trade for African slaves. Thus, the use of molasses and sugar was profitable and the British merchants wanted to prohibit the colonies from trading with anyone else, other than the British shippers.



All this did was promote much more smuggling and less legal trade so the British received less taxes then before.



Next effort was the Stamp Tax. It was required necessary to put these stamps on such things as deeds and diplomas, court papers and newspapers. Problem was the people refused to buy the stamps and ended up getting so mad about the requirement to use them that they burned them.



The Stamp Act Congress, that formed had adopted rules concerning the ability of the British to tax colonies. And so sent a grievance to the King about the situation and the Stamp Tax was repealed.



Things went smoothly for a few years, then Charles Townsend, in 1767, set up a tax on paper and lead, glass and paint, and tea.



So the British tried to tax the colonies by placing a tax or levy on tea. The American's refused to pay for it and much of the tea sent over to the colonies, molded in storeage because of the colonist's refusing to buy it. And about a hundred thousand dollars worth of tea was dumped in the Boston harbor, best known as the Boston Tea Party.



Since the colonist's refused to buy the tea from the British, they started looking for native flora from which tea could be made.



Sassafras tea became the most used tea during this time. It was made from the roots of a native tree. (Sassaffras albidum). A tree that grows from Maine to Florida.

Some use the bark off the roots and others use the whole root. One pound of washed chopped root added to water produces 1 gallon of tea. The same roots can be used over and over repeatedly.

Boil until tea is reddish-amber color. Add sugar or honey to taste.



Another tea substitute was the sweet goldenrod, (Solidago odora). Tea is made from the dried leaves.



Next colonist's used the New Jersey Tea, (Ceanothus americanus) plant. Tea is made from the dried leaves.



And teas were made from the mint family. Peppermint and spearmint, sage and catnip, and horehound.



Peppermint tea helps with stomach digestion.

Horehound tea helps relive coughs and calm fevers.

Catnip tea helps babies with colic and helps promote sleep. It is also rich in vitamin C.



Oswego tea or tea balm leaves (Monarda didyma) and American pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegiodes), and Strawberry leaf tea and Wintergreen or teaberry leaves were also used. And lastly Basswood blossems, which is Linden blossem tea.



Now you have a history of how some teas began being used by early Americans, and the history that prompted them to search hill and dale, for native natural teas.






via Smart Health Shop Forum http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmartHealthShopForum/~3/xDRBIt0c4Og/9479-early-america-native-natural-teas.html

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