Tea History and The Tea Party

In reading MacFarlane's article titled The Empire of Tea, I was intrigued by the immense history of tea.  I don't think I quite understood just how important tea has been, until after reading that article.  One of the historical facts highlighting the popularity and importance of tea during the 18th century was the actual economic boost it  gave to commodities.  Tea's popularity gave rise to the demand for production of ceramic's in Britain.
"The containers holding the tea, the tea caddies, had to be made, and the tables for serving the tea from, and the biscuits and cakes to accompany the drinking on appropriate side-plates, and the chairs and screens and fireplaces which would provide the elegant cosy setting.  So a consumer boom was launched in the first third of the 18th century, serviced by craftsmen and the expanding profession of general grocers, tea tasters, and auctioneers."
I thought that the economic growth of these tea commodities were interesting because I've read recent articles citing the increase of sales in powdered wigs due to the popularity of the Tea Party.  "The Tea Party movement, touting principles based in the Constitution and the Founding Fathers, has boosted the economy by fueling the sale and rental of anything symbolic of Colonial times — costumes, flags, even powdered wigs," states The Pittsburg Tribune.  This article in the Wall Street Journal also talks about how the rising demand for powdered wigs has spiked sales and vendors of the product.
Ultimately, the Tea Party movement has interestingly, such as tea did during the 18th century, generated an economic growth for a commodity.  

Tea Party: The Easy Target

I think that the Tea Party is an easily-attacked political movement that should be taken very seriously.  After reading many of my classmates forum postings and their opinions on the Tea Party, I found many articles presenting the Tea Party in a bad light.  I just wanted to point out that any political party will have some number of people with radical and/or controversial ideas.  These views may not support the entire party, but they become points of focus because they make for great news stories.  And while they may make for interesting articles, I think that the Tea Party stands for a lot more than just a few radical ideas, and they should be taken seriously.  

I've been reading the Wall Street Journal (almost) daily since I came to St. Olaf, and there never fails to be an article about the Tea Party every single day.  The movement is new, it's uniting, it's more and more mainstream, and it isn't stopping.  On Wednesday, Professor Rohn stated that we (as students) should be concerned with the Tea Party movement because it is our generation's movement.  I disagree with this statement slightly- I would say that the Tea Party movement is not the political of our generation, but of this time period, and perhaps even this decade.  

Because of that reason, I think that it is even more important than a generational movement because it reflects views of people from any age.  And now, to answer the tough question: What is the Tea Party movement?  ...No, no one exactly knows what it is, but in my opinion it is a group of people who are dissatisfied with government, namely large government control.  The movement is unhappy with the lack of control by "the people" and its goal is to bring control back to "the people".  The Tea Party has passionate members who are really just not satisfied with how things are going in America. I am quite positive that come election day, the people of the United States will be even more concerned with the Tea Party and its effect on politics across the country.     

Benjamin Franklin: Humble Beginnings

"[My father] sent me to a school for writing and arithmetic, kept by a then famous man, Mr. George Brownell, very successful in his profession generally, and that by mild, encouraging methods.  Under him I acquired fair writing pretty soon, but I failed in arithmetic, and made no progress in it."

This statement was so surprising to me.  Benjamin Franklin, one of our founding fathers, failing at arithmetic?!?  It seems too preposterous to be true.  When I think of someone like Benjamin Franklin, who was so successful in his lifetime and still maintains to be regarded with the upmost respect, it's hard to believe that they could fail at anything.  The statement itself actually gives me a lot of hope, though.  To me, it makes one of the greatest American leaders relatable and down-to-earth.  The fact that he included that information about himself also says a lot.  I shamefully admit that if I became famous, I would not want other people to know probably any of my greatest faults and weaknesses.  I admire that Franklin was bold enough to state that arithmetic was something that he was just not good at.  Next time I get down on myself about one of my academic weaknesses, I'll kindly remind myself that even Benjamin Franklin struggled with math.

Home

Being home last weekend was really nice.  I loved eating my mom's cooking, seeing a lot of my old friends and family, and sleeping in my own bed.  The strange thing is that one can be away from "home" for a good amount of time and still call it home.  Things are comfortable in that place and people are just like one remembers them.  I wondered if when I went home for fall break, even though it had only been a couple months, people would think that I had changed.  Or worse, would I think that my friends or family had changed?  The truth is, it was almost easier to fit right back in because I had taken a step out.  Leaving a place that was so engraved in me made me realize who I truly was by myself.  At home, the people around me shaped my actions and the vast majority of people that I knew in my town, I had known my entire life.  Here, I realize what type of a person I am because my actions are based on just my own individual choices.  No one is here to judge my plans or scrutinize my actions, and I'm very thankful for that.  Although the first few minutes with my friends back home might have been slightly awkward, (making small talk, asking impersonal questions), we quickly recognized our prior friendship and the bonds that we have with one another.  I realized that it isn't so hard to fit in even after being gone for a month or two.  I'm glad that my family and friends don't make me feel like an outsider even if they no longer know the details of my life.

To Infer

I'm really enjoying our class' study of symbolization through objects.  I have always thought that a lot can be said about a person through what they buy, wear, eat, etc.  Basically, I think that a person's choices can shape who they are.  Not only do the choices they make shape themselves, but they also shape how others perceive them.  In colonial America, this is extremely important because I think that the colonists no longer wanted to be seen as Europeans.  Through their choices, we can see that colonists were balancing a fine line between this sort of European-ism and American-ism.  They differentiated themselves through their clothing, houses, commodities, etc.  Because they originated from England, many of their styles had English characteristics, but certain American traits as well.  We talked today in class about clothing and how American clothes were generally more "rough" and also more expensive.  English clothing was much more ornate.  In the portrait of Paul Revere, he is seen to be wearing "American" style clothing.  We could debate the reasons behind this, but ultimately, I want to raise the question: Did New Englanders put that much significant thought into the clothing that they wore and the symbolism behind it, or were there choices based off of convenience, popularity, and other factors?

Inventory

I made a lot of lists prior to coming to college.  My largest and most detailed one was what I was bringing to college.  Making this list of what I already have while I'm here brought me back to the month before college when I was actually making those decisions.  It also makes me think of just how much stuff I really have...

Bedspread/pillows, Clothing, Shoes, Jewelry, Jewelry holder, Pet fish, Food, How water heater, Ruler, Book bag, Water bottle, Scissors, Notecards, Rubber bands, Calculator, Letters, Stamps, Bulletin board, Pictures/frames, Scarves, Medicine, Razors, Face wash, Shampoo/Conditioner, Blanket, Suitcase, Books, Tape, Paper clips, Checkbook, Rug, Printer, Laptop, Headphones, Blowdryer, Straightener, Curling iron, Iron. Laundry Detergent, Tide-to-go, Lint collector, Deodorant, Lapdesk, Book light, Wastepaper basket, Laundry basket, Poster, Mattress pad, Coats, Gloves, Hats, Shoe holder, Boxes, Calendar, Push pins, Paper, Lamp, Power strip... I'm sure I probably forgot something, but anyway, that's a lot of stuff!!!

Avatar: Pocahontas Recreation?

A few weeks ago, before AmCon really got into discussing Pocahontas, me and a few Hoyme friends watched the movie Avatar.  I'm sure most of you have seen it so I won't get into the plot, but anyway, it's a great movie! One of my friends watching the movie with me brought up the striking similarities between Avatar and Pocahontas though, and at first I didn't understand.  What similarities?  The fact that it's a love story?... Then he showed me this page on the internet, and I began to think that maybe James Cameron wasn't really the genius that we all thought him to be- maybe just someone who watched a lot of Pocahontas.  Read for yourselves!

Pocahontas: Part II

We've spent a good amount of time in class discussing Pocahontas.  On Wednesday, we talked about the different images of Pocahontas and how artists have portrayed her.  I've come to the conclusion, as I'm sure many other students have, that we really don't have any clue to how she looked.  Because I grew up thinking that a Disney movie was the most accurate representation, I now wonder how much of her appearance in the movie could be accurate at all.  Certainly, she had dark hair and eyes, and a thicker build, but almost everything else is just guesswork.  For one, I've now learned that Pocahontas would not have had a mature adult body because she was only around 10 years old when she met John Rolfe.  The Disney movie portrays Pocahontas as being this beautiful, statuesque Indian woman, but I feel as though the only thing we really know about her is that she is Indian.

For me, this makes Pocahontas even more confusing.  Now, not only do we not even know what she actually did or what type of person she was, but we also have no clue as to what she looked like.  Looking at the engraving of her in 1616, the only image of her during her real life, I become truly puzzled as to what image should come to mind when I think of Pocahontas.

^Huh?^

Pocahontas: The Legend

Reading about Pocahontas made me think about how little actually know about her, but how she is widely regarded as one of the, if not the most famous, American Indian woman.  Why is this?  We discussed this a little in class but I wanted to branch off of it a bit.  During class, I was trying to think of different reasons for why she was and still is relevant and important in today's American culture.  I came to a few conclusions:

1) Americans are eager to romanticize stories about the formation of our country.
2) The story of Pocahontas shows both Englanders and Indians in a good light.
3) Pocahontas is also a love story.

I think that ultimately, the story has drama to it.  It has been enhanced by the Disney film of course, but the real story itself does contain a lot of controversy.  The aspect that seems to make it popular is what I would call "positive" controversy.  Pocahontas has become not only a character in a Disney film, but also a symbol, and icon, just as we discussed in class.  She can be understood in many ways.

 

"Liberty"

In the picture of the female figure with the Phrygian cap, I think that the cap essentially represents freedom and liberty.  I like the article we read about the transformation that this piece has gone through.  In the beginning, the Indian Queen represented America.  She was a "nude woman warrior decorated with feathers and usually accompanied by an exotic-looking animal, a bow and arrow, and the odd severed limb nearby." To me, the picture shows America's resistance to England because this is displaying the most "Indian" characteristics of the the transformations.  Eventually, the Indian Queen would turn into a "slender white princess."  This picture, to me, invokes Deloria's idea of "playing Indian."  With the woman dressed in a feathered headdress and skirt, she is crossing both English aspects with Native American aspects.  Also, the woman perhaps even became more attractive over the years, which I found interesting.  And, her name changes from Indian Queen to Columbia.  There are still Native American hints found in Columbia- I'm excited to discuss these aspects in class as well as how and why it evolved.

Pueblo Landscape~New England Landscape~St. Olaf Landscape

My ORC group discussed on Monday how St. Olaf had more similarities to the Pueblo Landscape than to New England Landscape.  I think that in reality, St. Olaf is a good mix of both.  In Pueblo Landscape, the focus was on nature and not separating the people from it, but bringing them closer to it.  In contrast, the New England Landscape were more in awe of nature and didn't try to incorporate nature into their Landscape, but they still appreciated it.  Pueblo schools used nature and play in ordinance with their teachings, but New England schools kept both school and play separate.  Looking back at both, I'm not exactly sure who had it right.  But I don't think it's a question of whether one group did things "right" or not... It's more a question of how both Landscapes are still used today.  At St. Olaf, I see the beauty of the nature around our campus- trees everywhere and the natural lands surrounding the campus- but ultimately, the classrooms are in buildings where we are meant to learn.  I feel like St. Olaf ultimately appreciates the beauty of our landscape, but doesn't regard it with the same importance that the Pueblo Indians did.

Settling In

Now that I've spent over a month at St. Olaf, I've had some time to reflect on what transitions I have gone through during this time.  

My experience here is like no one else from my high school class... But yet I am so happy that I chose to come to school here.  I really can't imagine college anywhere else.  There is no one here from my hometown and it's been such a blessing in disguise.  Don't get me wrong, I miss all of my friends every day and wish that I could bring them here, but everyone that I spend time with here is completely new to me, and it's so refreshing just talking to each person.  Prior to coming to Olaf, I knew that this would be the perfect situation for me.  I am an independent person who wanted the opposite of my hometown, where I knew the names of everyone in my school.  In my hometown, I didn't HAVE to branch out to anyone because everything was right there and people practically thought that they knew me better than I knew myself.  So many people never branch out...but it was important to me to meet new people and see new things because I think that that is essential for new ideas to be formed.  If I had advice to give to students at my high school, my underclassmen friends, or even my younger sister, I would tell them to choose a place where you won't have to rely on anyone else.  In the future, you will have to make decisions that will dictate the course of your life.  Make those decisions on your own, without clouded judgement from someone else.