Jonathan Levin and Kaitlyn Hathaway

Abstract:

This summer, we studied various primary sources at the New York State Archives—including personal diaries, business ledgers, cookbooks, and advertisements—to determine the influence of Imperial Chinese culture on Revolutionary and Colonial America through using tea as a medicinal. In addition, we analyzed documents from Harvard Library’s “Worlds of Change” online collections. Our research revealed how the topic and consumption of tea consumed the everyday lives of early Americans, influencing their purchases and culinary choices in addition to medical treatments.