Standage also suggests that rum may have been more responsible than tea for the independence movement in Britain’s American colonies.
"Distilling molasses for rum was very important to the New England economy," he explained. "When the British tried to tax molasses it struck at the heart of the economy. The idea of ’no taxation without representation’ originated with molasses and sugar. Only at the end did it refer to tea."
"Distilling molasses for rum was very important to the New England economy," he explained. "When the British tried to tax molasses it struck at the heart of the economy. The idea of ’no taxation without representation’ originated with molasses and sugar. Only at the end did it refer to tea."
