More specifically, it is a tea party, complete with pots of the beverage and assorted pastries to go along with it. At least that was the case at the Boonton Senior Center where Roth presented “Totally Tea, An 18th Century Tea Experience.”

Dressed in 18th-century attire, Roth offered a light-hearted look at tea and how it impacted the country. As Roth said of tea, “it is more than a beverage, it is a basis for a way of life.”

Roth is a freelance museum educator, public speaker, vocalist, and performance artist who presents programs on historical themes that incorporate first-person interpretation, storytelling, songs, and/or demonstrations through her company, History on the Hoof.

Talking tea, Roth offered that while people may think of tea as being very British, the beverage was enjoyed here in the colonies some fifty years before Britain imported the leaves from China. Tea, back then, was always loose leaves and either black or green, never herbal. People did drink herbs, but they were called infusions and were ingested for health benefits: chamomile for cramps and peppermint for stomach distress.

When tea was introduced to Europe it was very expensive and was a drink for nobility, as such it was associated with status. By the middle of the 18th century, it was affordable to the masses. Not to be outdone by the “riffraff,” the upper class distinguished themselves by collecting fancy tea pots and other accoutrements: milk and sugar pots; canisters in which to store the tea; and slop bowls, where discarded tea leaves were dropped. The tea strainer was not used until 1790.

So cherished were tea and its accessories, families included tea sets when they had their portraits painted. “It was a dominant part of people’s lives,” said Roth.

Serving tea was how people offered hospitality and there were specific manners to follow, although not as strict as in the 19th century with the Victorian era. In the 18th century, tea was served by the woman of the house, not a servant. Milk, not cream, was a popular additive, as was sugar, which came in big loaves. While in the kitchen, small bits were chipped away, so that the guests in the parlor were offered sugar cubes. Thus the expression: “one lump or two.

Sugar was also a sign of prosperity. It came in various hues from white to brown and the lighter the sugar, the more expensive it was. Dressmakers, milliners and other working class people who interacted with the wealthy would be invited by the upper class to tea. However, they would get brown sugar and were not served the best tea.

Tea also offered a healthier and energizing diet that may have led to other changes. Roth noted that water was not particularly drinkable, so most people drank beer for breakfast. That was until an affordable cup of tea was available to start the day. The switch from alcohol to caffeine for breakfast coincided with the Industrial Revolution, according to Roth. Apparently, it is thanks to caffeine that such inventions as the steam engine and assembly line came about.

Alas, the tea-centric society came to an end when the British Parliament put forth the Tea Act. It of course resulted in yet another tea party, the Boston Tea Party. The act of dumping tea into the harbor was repeated all along the coast. Tea was burned in New York City and in Princeton.

According to Roth, people drank tea again after the Revolutionary War, but it was never the same. The new country was started by people who had become coffee drinkers.

At the senior center that afternoon, tea’s glory days were revived as it reigned as the drink of choice.

Barbara D’Agostino called the presentation, “wonderful” and was surprised by the fact that green tea was popular 300 years ago. “It sounds like a new thing, but it is really old.”

Boonton resident Sylvia Lewis said, “I learned a lot. I never realized there was so much history to it and different cultures and was prepared for different occasions.”

As Evelyn Echardt, past president of the Boonton Historical Society, said of the afternoon, “Everyone seemed to enjoy it.”

Lisa Kintish can be contacted at kintish@northjersey.com.

Photos by David Vnencak

Photo 1: Stacy Roth poses with a teacup, showing a proper method of holding the cup in the 18th century. Behind her are various teapots that were shown and discussed during her presentation at the Boonton Senior Center.

Photo 2: Various types of tea were sampled before and after the “Totally Tea: An 18th-Century Tea Experience,” presented at the Boonton Senior Center.