The Tea Party Movement of 2009

1. The Tea Party Movement of 2009 (What are its beliefs? How does it compare to the Boston Tea Party of 1773?) Image from http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanagerphotos/on-politics/2011/02/08/teaparty-208x-large.jpg Americans have participated in political protests since the beginning of our country’s history. How has the organization of political groups and their actions evolved over time?

2. What is the Tea Party Movement? The Tea Party movement is a political movement with conservative and libertarian tendencies. • Members believe in an originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. • Its goals are less government in the form of decreased taxation and reduction of national debt. • It has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009.

3. Compare and Contrast • At the end of this lesson, you will be asked to compare and contrast the original Boston Tea Party of 1773 to the 2009 Tea Party Movement. • Type or write the following graphic organizer and fill it out as you go through the lesson: • http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/learning/pdf/2010/20100112socialmovements.pdfOrganizer is from the NY Times Learning Network learning.blogs@nytimes.com

4. Origin of Name The Tea Party of 2009 took their name from a comment Rick Santelli, on-air editor for the CNBC Business News network, made referencing the Boston Tea Party of 1773. The Boston Tea Party was a group of citizens, organized by Samuel Adams,that protested British tea taxation, which they felt was taxation without representation, by dumping tea into Boston’s harbor. Many people also credit a Seattle conservative activist, Keli Carender, with organizing the first Tea Party like protests in February 2009 with the help of her blog although she did not use the words “Tea Party”. Image from http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bstXBEDnG9w/TJJn97UqDCI/AAAAAAAADfE/Yq2PT2fpYdk/s1600/santelli.jpg

5. Media Resources- Origin of Name- Boston Tea Party CNBC Rick Santelli’s Tea Party comment from 0 seconds to 2 min 30 secondshttp://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=1039849853 Boston Tea Party 1773 (Choose links as needed) Tea Party - Schoolhouse Rock - No more Kings 3 minutes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-9pDZMRCpQ&feature=related The Boston Tea Party Takes Place - December 16, 1773 30 seconds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8WkeFBwEyw&feature=related The Boston Tea Party 4 minutes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DflVLvrWgsg&feature=related

6. Counterpoint (Opposite View) Other groups have used the imagery of the Boston Tea Party for their causes. . From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Tea_Party“When Mohandas K. Gandhi led a mass burning of Indian registration cards in South Africa in 1908, a British newspaper compared the event to the Boston Tea Party.[67] When Gandhi met with the British viceroy in 1930 after the Indian salt protest campaign, Gandhi took some duty-free salt from his shawl and said, with a smile, that the salt was "to remind us of the famous Boston Tea Party."[68] “In 1973, on the 200th anniversary of the Tea Party, a mass meeting at Faneuil Hall called for the impeachment of President Richard Nixon and protested oil companies in the ongoing oil crisis. Afterwards, protesters boarded a replica ship in Boston Harbor, hanged Nixon in effigy, and dumped several empty oil drums into the harbor.[69] In 1998, two conservative US Congressmen put the federal tax code into a chest marked "tea" and dumped it into the harbor.[70]” ^Erik H. Erikson, Gandhi's Truth: On the Origins of Militant Nonviolence (New York: Norton, 1969), 204. ^ Erikson, Gandhi's Truth, 448. ^ Young, Shoemaker, 197. ^ Young, Shoemaker, 198.

7. Tea Party Beliefs • Close adherence to the US Constitution • Members commit to learning the Constitution • Originalist view- What did the writers mean? • Less Government • Lower taxes • Balanced budget • Grassroots activism* • Using Elections to reach Political Objectives • Using town meetings or tea parties to organize • .*(There is debate about how much is grassroots and how much is not grassroots) The Gadsden flag appeared in 1775 . An anonymous writer to a newspaper (many believe the writer to be Benjamin Franklin) said of the flag “"She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. ... she never wounds 'till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of treading on her." Permission from N. York to use image. Information from http://www.gadsden.info/history.html

8. Close adherence to the US Constitution • Members commit to learning the Constitution • Tea Party members feel it is very important to read and understand the US Constitution. They feel elected officials need to consider what the Constitution states for all of their decisions.

9. Media Resources- Preamble US Constitution School House Rock - Preamble (America Rock) 3 minuteshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=SQdDjBAJt7c&feature=endscreen Tea Party Members try many different ways to learn the Constitution. Some use American Sign Language as a way to memorize the document.from p. 64 of Boiling Mad Inside Tea Party America by Kate Zernike After watching the videos, see how much of the Preamble you can remember.ASL Translation of the Preamble to The Constitution of the United States of America 1 min http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGNbFqaIo28 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FKRHEMGuYQ The preamble in sign language! 1 minute ASL translation by students

10. Close adherence to the US Constitution • Members commit to learning the Constitution. • Originalist view • An originalist view of the Constitution means that the reader of the Constitution tries to figure out what the original meaning was at the time it was written.What did the writers of the Constitution have in mind when they drafted the different parts?Originalists believe that judges should uphold the laws and that they should not try to change them.Famous originalists are Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.

11. Media Resources- Originalist Example The Supreme Court case BROWN, GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA, ET AL. v. ENTERTAINMENT MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION ET AL. Argued November 2, 2010—Decided June 27, 2011 was about a California law that made it illegal to sell violent video games to minors. It was decided by 7-2 vote that the law was unconstitutional because it violated the First Amendment (freedom of speech). Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a dissent (it means he disagreed with the ruling). His reasoning was that the original intent of the Constitution did not define freedom of speech involving minors in accordance to the majority ruling. Individually or in groups read pages 38 to 42 of Justice Thomas’ dissent and explain what he thought the original meaning of the Constitution was for this particular case. http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/08-1448.pdf

12. Counterpoint (Opposite View) Some Supreme Court Justices feel that the Constitution is a “living document” that should change as times change. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote Reflections on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution explaining why he thought the Constitution needs to be changed. Individually or in groups read pages 142 to 146 of Justice Marshall’s reflection and explain why he thinks the Constitution is a “living document.” IT IS A CONSTITUTION WE ARE EXPOUNDING Collected Writings on Interpreting Our Founding Document Foreword by Laurence H. Tribe http://www.acslaw.org/pdf/ACS_Expounding_FNL.pdf

13. Compare and Contrast Write at least three paragraphs about the Originalism concept of the Constitution and the Living Document concept of the Constitution. In the first paragraph explain what the Originalism concept is. In the second paragraph explain what the Living Document concept is. In the third paragraph compare and contrast the two Constitutional concepts. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall“Living Document” Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas“Originalism” Image from http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Profiles/M/Thurgood-Marshall-9400241-1-402.jpg Image from http://www.conservapedia.com/images/thumb/4/40/Thmas.jpg/200px-Thmas.jpg

14. 2. Less Government • Lower taxes • Balanced budget • .The Tea Party believes there needs to be less government. Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution lists what responsibilities/powers the government had at the time the Constitution was drafted. The Tea Party believes that the government has grown too big, that all of the newer programs are not necessary and/or Constitutional. Every government program uses taxes to fund them. • The Tea Party believes that there should be less taxes. Tax is collected from the majority of citizens from their paycheck to pay for government (federal and state) programs. • The Tea Party believes that the Federal and State budgets need to be balanced. To balance a budget means that you are not spending more money than you have.

15. Compare and Contrast The next slide contains Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution. After you read the 18 clauses list 10 Government agencies that are not included in Article 1 Section 8. If you were President is there any Government agency that you would eliminate to save money? Why or why not? An example of a government agency is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It was not originally mentioned in Article 1 Section 8. The EPA attempts to reduce pollution and to protect the environment. If you need to see a list of Government Agencies look at this link http://www.usa.gov/directory/federal/index.shtml

16. Article 1 Section 8 Section. 8. Clause 1: The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; Clause 2: To borrow Money on the credit of the United States; Clause 3: To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; Clause 4: To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; Clause 5: To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; Clause 6: To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States; Clause 7: To establish Post Offices and post Roads; Clause 8: To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries; Clause 9: To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court; Clause 10: To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations; Clause 11: To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; Clause 12: To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; Clause 13: To provide and maintain a Navy; Clause 14: To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces; Clause 15: To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions; Clause 16: To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress; Clause 17: To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, byCession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And Clause 18: To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof. http://www.house.gov/house/Constitution/Constitution.html

17. Tea Party Beliefs • 3. Grassroots activism • Using Elections to reach Political Objectives • Using town meetings or tea parties to organize • One of their first successful political actions was to have a Tea Party candidate, Republican Scott P. Brown pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Massachusetts political history. He defeated Democrat Martha Coakley to win the 2010 Massachusetts senate election. This was the first time a Republican had won in this senate election since 1972. • Scott P. Brown’s slogan was: 'I'm Scott Brown. I'm from Wrentham. I drive a truck.‘ The truck was used to prove his point that he was a “common” man and not a career politician. Many times in grassroots campaigns a local person is supported over incumbents (people who have held a political position for a long time). Image from http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1002/scott_browns_truck_sets_the_pace.html

18. Using the term “grassroots” to define the 2010 Massachusetts senate election has been questioned. Although Mr. Brown started out with very little money to run his campaign he received thousands of dollars from different political interests toward the end of his campaign. From Ballotpedia.org- Scott Brown http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Scott_Brown From Boston.com http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/02/01/late_in_senate_race_financial_sector_donations_swelled_browns_coffers/

19. 3. Grassroots activism • Using Elections to reach Political Objectives • Using town meetings or tea parties to organize • One reason that the Tea Party Movement has grown so fast is that they have used social media (Facebook, email, etc.) to organize. • How Scott Brown Friended, Tweeted and LOLed His Way Into The Senate from Epicenter- http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/02/how-scott-brown-friended-tweeted-and-loled-his-way-into-the-senate/ • Many students see Facebook just as a way to socialize with friends. After reading the link above write a paragraph about how using social media (Facebook, twitter, etc.) is changing the way future election campaigns will be handled. How does social media help grassroots organizations compete with more well-funded organizations?

20. Grassroots Activism has changed in many ways over the years. Compare and contrast the ways citizens have participated in political issues after reading the George Hewes account of his actions at the Boston Tea Party and watching the Scott Brown Volunteer in Fitchburg account. George Hewes- first person account of Boston Tea Partyhttp://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/teaparty.htm Scott Brown Volunteer in Fitchburg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01nsPGWNtd8

21. Recap of Tea Party Beliefs • Close adherence to the US Constitution • Members commit to learning the Constitution • Originalist view • Less Government • Lower taxes • Balanced budget • Grassroots activism* • Using Elections to reach Political Objectives • Using town meetings or tea parties to organize • *(There is debate about how much is grassroots and how much is not grassroots) The Gadsden flag appeared in 1775 . An anonymous writer to a newspaper (many believe the writer to be Benjamin Franklin) said of the flag “"She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. ... she never wounds 'till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of treading on her." Permission from N. York to use image. Information from http://www.gadsden.info/history.html

22. Glossary Conservative- Holding to traditional attitudes and values. Grassroots Activism- A grassroots movement is politics at a local level. It is usually spontaneous and has many volunteers in the community that give their time to support a local party. Libertarian- “One who advocates maximizing individual rights and minimizing the role of the state.” from the freedictionary.com Living document- concept that the Constitution will need to change with the times. Minor- A young person, not an adult Originalism- concept that the Constitution needs to be interpreted based on what the original writers intended it to mean. Social Media- web-based and mobile technologies that create interactive conversations. Uphold the law- to carry out the law as it is written.

23. Other Activities • Compare Tea Party Movement to Occupy Wall Street Movement • See the previous lesson from HNN about Occupy Wall Street in Historical Context as reference material • http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/learning/pdf/2010/20100112socialmovements.pdf • Organizer is from the NY Times Learning Network learning.blogs@nytimes.com • Have students debate their Constitutional preference (Originalism versus Living Document)

24. Other Lesson Plans for Tea Party The Life of the (Tea) Party: Comparing Social Protest Movements By DINAH MACK and HOLLY EPSTEIN OJALVO http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/the-life-of-the-tea-party-comparing-social-protest-movements/ The Tea Party Movement- C-Spanhttp://www.c-spanclassroom.org/Lesson/319/Featured+Lesson+Idea+The+Tea+Party+Movement.aspx

25. Resources Books Boiling Mad- Inside Tea Party America by Kate Zernike Links US Constitution http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html Boston Tea Party Historical Society- site contains pictures and facts http://www.boston-tea-party.org/pictures/picture7.html Boston Tea Party Historical Society- play about original tea partyhttp://www.boston-tea-party.org/reenactment/Act1.html No Time for Tea (3-5 Grade) http://publications.socialstudies.org/se/6905/6905244.pdf