Summary In The Shoemaker And The Tea Party

Throughout world history, it can be observed that the common people are often compelled to “bend the knee” to the elite in the name of social adherence, progress, or pure totalitarianism. This concept of social submission, also known as deference, is a key theme integrated into Alfred Young’s biography of George Hewes, The Shoemaker and the Tea Party. A common shoemaker, Hewes’ extraordinary tale of gallantry provides vital insights into the ideology of the common man during the events surrounding the American Revolution. In The Shoemaker and the Tea Party, George Hewes transitions from a proper colonist to a patriotic activist by abandoning deference in the context of his interactions with British regulars, Tea Party revolutionaries, and John Hancock. The presence of British soldiers in Boston was of a particular disturbance to Hewes, who found it especially irritating to be stopped by sentries after curfew. British occupation represented absolute authority and a call for submission of the will. His distaste for His Majesty’s men grew after he was personally cheated by a British Sergeant who was supposedly ordering shoes for his Captain but never appeared to pay for them. Later, he witnessed an incident where a soldier sneaked up behind a woman, mugged her, and stole her outer garments. (36) Hewes’ continual revulsion for

While the actions of patriots such as Hewes are often romanticized, is it plausible to question if insurrection is moral and can be applied personally? Hewes, however, gives the reader the ability to view the American Revolution as a commoner, and states through his actions that while mutual respect and honor are concepts to be upheld in pursuit of the Christian life, they may be rationalized in his challenge to deny deference in pursuit of grater