Commutation Act 1784 - Revision history

Mengjing at 17:18, 5 July 2023

2023-07-05T17:18:08Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:18, 5 July 2023
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	=== 1. Historical Background ===		=== 1. Historical Background ===

	[[Catherine of Braganza]], as a tea addict, brought tea-drinking culture to the British court in the mid-17th century. But the high tax restricted tea consumption to the wealthy. At the end of the 17th century, the retail price of tea was about ￡1 per lb. At that time, the highest weekly income of a skilled craftsman was only ￡1, and that of the average labourer only about 40p.<ref>Roy Moxham: Tea: ''Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003, p.22.</ref>		[[Catherine of Braganza]], as a tea addict, brought tea-drinking culture to the British court in the mid-17th century. But the high tax restricted tea consumption to the wealthy. At the end of the 17th century, the retail price of tea was about ￡1 per lb.<ref>Roy Moxham: Tea: ''Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003, p.22.</ref> At that time, the highest weekly income of a skilled craftsman was only ￡1, and that of the average labourer only about 40p.<ref>Roy Moxham: Tea: ''Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003, p.22.</ref>

	The pursuit of tea by the British was phenomenal in the 18th century. By the mid-18th century the consumption of tea had gradually expanded to different classes of the country. Recorded imports into the British market rose from 13,082lbs in 1699 to 4,727,992lbs in 1750.<ref>Roy Moxham: Tea: ''Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003, p.24.</ref> The officially imported tea still could not meet the market demand. With insufficient supply and huge profit margins, tea smuggling became rampant. It has been estimated that the annual consumption of illicit tea in Britain up to the 1770s was equal to or even higher than that of legal tea.<ref>Roy Moxham: Tea: ''Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003, p.26.</ref> Skillful tactics of the smugglers, the involvement of local townspeople and the violence of the notorious smuggling gangs, such as the Hawkhurst Gang, had heightened the difficulty of various parliamentary efforts to ban smuggling. The situation in which government revenue was severely affected did not change until Pitt came to power.		The pursuit of tea by the British was phenomenal in the 18th century. By the mid-18th century the consumption of tea had gradually expanded to different classes of the country. Recorded imports into the British market rose from 13,082lbs in 1699 to 4,727,992lbs in 1750.<ref>Roy Moxham: Tea: ''Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003, p.24.</ref> The officially imported tea still could not meet the market demand. With insufficient supply and huge profit margins, tea smuggling became rampant. It has been estimated that the annual consumption of illicit tea in Britain up to the 1770s was equal to or even higher than that of legal tea.<ref>Roy Moxham: Tea: ''Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003, p.26.</ref> Skillful tactics of the smugglers, the involvement of local townspeople and the violence of the notorious smuggling gangs, such as the Hawkhurst Gang, had heightened the difficulty of various parliamentary efforts to ban smuggling. The situation in which government revenue was severely affected did not change until Pitt came to power.

Mengjing at 17:05, 5 July 2023

2023-07-05T17:05:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:05, 5 July 2023
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	The implementation of the Act drastically reduced the tea tax, which wiped out the profit margins of smuggling activities. The Act also regulated the role of the East India Company in the tea trade, that is, as the sole importer of tea from China to Britain and the organizer of the auction in London. In William Pitt's prediction, the fiscal losses from lower custom and excise duties should be offset or even surpassed by tax revenue from rapidly growing and ultimately steady legal domestic sales. The government's determination to strengthen the development of its tea trading, both internationally and domestically, could be seen from the terms of the act. The Company was required		The implementation of the Act drastically reduced the tea tax, which wiped out the profit margins of smuggling activities. The Act also regulated the role of the East India Company in the tea trade, that is, as the sole importer of tea from China to Britain and the organizer of the auction in London. In William Pitt's prediction, the fiscal losses from lower custom and excise duties should be offset or even surpassed by tax revenue from rapidly growing and ultimately steady legal domestic sales. The government's determination to strengthen the development of its tea trading, both internationally and domestically, could be seen from the terms of the act. The Company was required

	(1) to import sufficient tea to supply the domestic market, (2) to maintain in its warehouses a quantity equal to one year’s consumption, (3) to hold public sales by auction four times a year ‘at equal distance of time’ [~~source?~~], (4) to put up tea for sale at prices which should not exceed the prime cost, the freight and charges of importation, the lawful interest of capital from the time of the arrival of such tea in Britain, and the common premium of insurance, and (5) to sell such tea ‘without reserve to the highest bidder, provided an advance of one penny per pound should be bid upon the [put-up] prices’.<ref>Hoh-Cheung; Mui, Lorna H. ''The Commutation Act and the Tea Trade in Britain 1784–1793''. The Economic History Review. New Series, Vol. 16, No. 2 (1963), pp.234.</ref>		(1) to import sufficient tea to supply the domestic market, (2) to maintain in its warehouses a quantity equal to one year’s consumption, (3) to hold public sales by auction four times a year ‘at equal distance of time’ [§5 of the Act], (4) to put up tea for sale at prices which should not exceed the prime cost, the freight and charges of importation, the lawful interest of capital from the time of the arrival of such tea in Britain, and the common premium of insurance, and (5) to sell such tea ‘without reserve to the highest bidder, provided an advance of one penny per pound should be bid upon the [put-up] prices’ [§5 of the Act].<ref>Hoh-Cheung; Mui, Lorna H. ''The Commutation Act and the Tea Trade in Britain 1784–1793''. The Economic History Review. New Series, Vol. 16, No. 2 (1963), pp.234.</ref>

	In the 10 years before the Act was passed, the tea imported into Britain by the Company was about 54,506,144lbs, while in the last decade of the 18th century, this figure more than quadrupled to 228,826,616lbs ~~[source?]~~. The company's European competitors were largely driven out of the British market. During these periods, their tea imports from China shrunk from 134,698,900lbs to 38,506,646lbs.<ref>Roy Moxham: Tea: ''Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003, p.28.</ref>		In the 10 years before the Act was passed, the tea imported into Britain by the Company was about 54,506,144lbs, while in the last decade of the 18th century, this figure more than quadrupled to 228,826,616lbs.<ref>Roy Moxham: Tea: ''Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003, p.28.</ref> The company's European competitors were largely driven out of the British market. During these periods, their tea imports from China shrunk from 134,698,900lbs to 38,506,646lbs.<ref>Roy Moxham: Tea: ''Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003, p.28.</ref>

	It is worth noting that after the enforcement of the Act, the domestic tea sales channels in the UK were in the hands of domestic legal distributors, especially principal distributors, such as Richard Twining who proposed to Pitt to reduce taxes on tea.		It is worth noting that after the enforcement of the Act, the domestic tea sales channels in the UK were in the hands of domestic legal distributors, especially principal distributors, such as Richard Twining who proposed to Pitt to reduce taxes on tea.
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	Moxham, Roy. ''Tea: Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. Carroll & Graf, 2003.		Moxham, Roy. ''Tea: Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. Carroll & Graf, 2003.

			'''References'''

Mengjing: /* 1. Historical Background */

2023-07-05T16:44:43Z

1. Historical Background

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:44, 5 July 2023
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	=== 1. Historical Background ===		=== 1. Historical Background ===

	[[Catherine of Braganza]], as a tea addict, brought tea-drinking culture to the British court in the mid-17th century. But the high tax restricted tea consumption to the wealthy. At the end of the 17th century, the retail price of tea was about ￡1 per lb ~~[source?]~~. At that time, the highest weekly income of a skilled craftsman was only ￡1, and that of the average labourer only about 40p ~~[source?]~~.		[[Catherine of Braganza]], as a tea addict, brought tea-drinking culture to the British court in the mid-17th century. But the high tax restricted tea consumption to the wealthy. At the end of the 17th century, the retail price of tea was about ￡1 per lb. At that time, the highest weekly income of a skilled craftsman was only ￡1, and that of the average labourer only about 40p.<ref>Roy Moxham: Tea: ''Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003, p.22.</ref>

	The pursuit of tea by the British was phenomenal in the 18th century. By the mid-18th century the consumption of tea had gradually expanded to different classes of the country. Recorded imports into the British market rose from 13,082lbs in 1699 to 4,727,992lbs in 1750 ~~[verbatim taken from https~~:~~//www~~.~~teadeviant~~.~~com~~/~~blog/category/tea-in-history].~~ The officially imported tea still could not meet the market demand. With insufficient supply and huge profit margins, tea smuggling became rampant. It has been estimated that the annual consumption of illicit tea in Britain up to the 1770s was equal to or even higher than that of legal tea ~~[source?]~~. Skillful tactics of the smugglers, the involvement of local townspeople and the violence of the notorious smuggling gangs, such as the Hawkhurst Gang, had heightened the difficulty of various parliamentary efforts to ban smuggling. The situation in which government revenue was severely affected did not change until Pitt came to power.		The pursuit of tea by the British was phenomenal in the 18th century. By the mid-18th century the consumption of tea had gradually expanded to different classes of the country. Recorded imports into the British market rose from 13,082lbs in 1699 to 4,727,992lbs in 1750.<ref>Roy Moxham: Tea: ''Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003, p.24.</ref> The officially imported tea still could not meet the market demand. With insufficient supply and huge profit margins, tea smuggling became rampant. It has been estimated that the annual consumption of illicit tea in Britain up to the 1770s was equal to or even higher than that of legal tea.<ref>Roy Moxham: Tea: ''Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003, p.26.</ref> Skillful tactics of the smugglers, the involvement of local townspeople and the violence of the notorious smuggling gangs, such as the Hawkhurst Gang, had heightened the difficulty of various parliamentary efforts to ban smuggling. The situation in which government revenue was severely affected did not change until Pitt came to power.

	=== 2. Content of the Act and Major Consequences ===		=== 2. Content of the Act and Major Consequences ===

Pankratz at 10:31, 5 July 2023

2023-07-05T10:31:53Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:31, 5 July 2023
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	~~The '''Commutation Act of 1784''' was a statute~~ passed by the British Parliament under ~~'''~~William Pitt the Younger~~'''~~, ~~who became~~ Prime Minister in 1783. On the advice of the major London tea dealers, Pitt introduced the Act to reduce custom and excise duties on tea from ~~'''~~119~~'''~~ to ~~'''12½%'''~~. Consequently, tea smuggling almost disappeared in a very short time. On the other hand, the Act aimed to establish the absolute monopoly of the ~~'''~~East India Company~~'''~~ in the international trade of tea.		Statute passed by the British Parliament under William Pitt the Younger, Prime Minister since 1783. On the advice of the major London tea dealers, Pitt introduced the Act to reduce custom and excise duties on tea from 119 to 12.5 per cent. Consequently, tea smuggling almost disappeared in a very short time. On the other hand, the Act aimed to establish the absolute monopoly of the East India Company in the international trade of tea.

	~~'''~~1. Historical Background~~'''~~		=== 1. Historical Background ===

	Catherine of Braganza, as a tea addict, brought tea-drinking culture to the British court in the mid-17th century. But the high tax restricted tea consumption to the wealthy. At the end of the 17th century, the retail price of tea was about ￡1 per lb. At that time, the highest weekly income of a skilled craftsman was only ￡1, and that of the average labourer only about 40p.		[[Catherine of Braganza]], as a tea addict, brought tea-drinking culture to the British court in the mid-17th century. But the high tax restricted tea consumption to the wealthy. At the end of the 17th century, the retail price of tea was about ￡1 per lb [source?]. At that time, the highest weekly income of a skilled craftsman was only ￡1, and that of the average labourer only about 40p [source?].

	The pursuit of tea by the British was phenomenal in the 18th century. By the mid-18th century the consumption of tea had gradually expanded to different classes of the country. Recorded imports into the British market rose from 13,082lbs in 1699 to 4,727,992lbs in 1750. The officially imported tea still could not meet the market demand. With insufficient supply and huge profit margins, tea smuggling became rampant. It has been estimated that the annual consumption of illicit tea in Britain up to the 1770s was equal to or even higher than that of legal tea. Skillful tactics of the smugglers, the involvement of local townspeople and the violence of the notorious smuggling gangs, such as the Hawkhurst Gang, had heightened the difficulty of various parliamentary efforts to ban smuggling. The situation in which government revenue was severely affected did not change until Pitt came to power.		The pursuit of tea by the British was phenomenal in the 18th century. By the mid-18th century the consumption of tea had gradually expanded to different classes of the country. Recorded imports into the British market rose from 13,082lbs in 1699 to 4,727,992lbs in 1750 [verbatim taken from https://www.teadeviant.com/blog/category/tea-in-history]. The officially imported tea still could not meet the market demand. With insufficient supply and huge profit margins, tea smuggling became rampant. It has been estimated that the annual consumption of illicit tea in Britain up to the 1770s was equal to or even higher than that of legal tea [source?]. Skillful tactics of the smugglers, the involvement of local townspeople and the violence of the notorious smuggling gangs, such as the Hawkhurst Gang, had heightened the difficulty of various parliamentary efforts to ban smuggling. The situation in which government revenue was severely affected did not change until Pitt came to power.

	~~'''~~2. Content of the Act and ~~its major consequences'''~~		=== 2. Content of the Act and Major Consequences ===

	The implementation of the Act drastically reduced the tea tax, which wiped out the profit margins of smuggling activities. The Act also regulated the role of the East India Company in the tea trade, that is, as the sole importer of tea from China to Britain and the organizer of the auction in London. In William Pitt's prediction, the fiscal losses from lower custom and excise duties should be offset or even surpassed by tax revenue from rapidly growing and ultimately steady legal domestic sales. The government's determination to strengthen the development of its tea trading, both internationally and domestically, could be seen from the terms of the act. The Company was required		The implementation of the Act drastically reduced the tea tax, which wiped out the profit margins of smuggling activities. The Act also regulated the role of the East India Company in the tea trade, that is, as the sole importer of tea from China to Britain and the organizer of the auction in London. In William Pitt's prediction, the fiscal losses from lower custom and excise duties should be offset or even surpassed by tax revenue from rapidly growing and ultimately steady legal domestic sales. The government's determination to strengthen the development of its tea trading, both internationally and domestically, could be seen from the terms of the act. The Company was required

	(1) to import sufficient tea to supply the domestic market, (2) to maintain in its warehouses a quantity equal to one year’s consumption, (3) to hold public sales by auction four times a year ‘at equal distance of time’, (4) to put up tea for sale at prices which should not exceed the prime cost, the freight and charges of importation, the lawful interest of capital from the time of the arrival of such tea in Britain, and the common premium of insurance, and (5) to sell such tea ‘without reserve to the highest bidder, provided an advance of one penny per pound should be bid upon the [put-up] prices’.<ref>Hoh-Cheung; Mui, Lorna H. ''The Commutation Act and the Tea Trade in Britain 1784–1793''. The Economic History Review. New Series, Vol. 16, No. 2 (1963), pp.234.</ref>		(1) to import sufficient tea to supply the domestic market, (2) to maintain in its warehouses a quantity equal to one year’s consumption, (3) to hold public sales by auction four times a year ‘at equal distance of time’ [source?], (4) to put up tea for sale at prices which should not exceed the prime cost, the freight and charges of importation, the lawful interest of capital from the time of the arrival of such tea in Britain, and the common premium of insurance, and (5) to sell such tea ‘without reserve to the highest bidder, provided an advance of one penny per pound should be bid upon the [put-up] prices’.<ref>Hoh-Cheung; Mui, Lorna H. ''The Commutation Act and the Tea Trade in Britain 1784–1793''. The Economic History Review. New Series, Vol. 16, No. 2 (1963), pp.234.</ref>

	In the 10 years before the Act was passed, the tea imported into Britain by the Company was about 54,506,144lbs, while in the last decade of the 18th century, this figure more than quadrupled to 228,826,616lbs. The company's European competitors were largely driven out of the British market. During these periods, their tea imports from China shrunk from 134,698,900lbs to 38,506,646lbs.<ref>Roy Moxham: Tea: ''Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003, p.28.</ref>		In the 10 years before the Act was passed, the tea imported into Britain by the Company was about 54,506,144lbs, while in the last decade of the 18th century, this figure more than quadrupled to 228,826,616lbs [source?]. The company's European competitors were largely driven out of the British market. During these periods, their tea imports from China shrunk from 134,698,900lbs to 38,506,646lbs.<ref>Roy Moxham: Tea: ''Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003, p.28.</ref>

	It is worth noting that after the enforcement of the Act the domestic tea sales channels in the UK were in the hands of domestic legal distributors, especially principal distributors, such as Richard Twining who proposed to Pitt to reduce taxes on tea.		It is worth noting that after the enforcement of the Act, the domestic tea sales channels in the UK were in the hands of domestic legal distributors, especially principal distributors, such as Richard Twining who proposed to Pitt to reduce taxes on tea.

	'''~~Resources:~~'''		'''Works Cited'''

	Hoh-Cheung; Mui, Lorna H. ''The Commutation Act and the Tea Trade in Britain 1784–1793''. The Economic History Review. New Series, Vol. 16, No. 2 (1963), pp.234–253. jstor.org/stable/2598638 [Access June 2. 2023]		Hoh-Cheung; Mui, Lorna H. "The Commutation Act and the Tea Trade in Britain 1784–1793". ''The Economic History Review. New Series'', Vol. 16, No. 2 (1963), pp.234–253. jstor.org/stable/2598638 [Access June 2. 2023]

	Moxham, Roy. ''Tea: Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. Carroll & Graf ~~Publishers~~, ~~New York (~~2003~~) pp~~.~~9-50. ISBN 0-7867-1227-9~~		Moxham, Roy. ''Tea: Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire''. Carroll & Graf, 2003.

Mengjing at 14:26, 2 July 2023

2023-07-02T14:26:38Z

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-The '''Commutation Act of 1784''' was a statute passed by the British Parliament under '''William Pitt the Younger''', who became Prime Minister in 1783. On the advice of the major London tea dealers, Pitt introduced the Act to reduce the tea tax from the previous '''119%''' to '''12½%'''. Consequently, tea smuggling almost disappeared in a very short time. On the other hand, the Act aimed to establish the absolute monopoly of the '''East India Company''' in the international trade of tea.
+The '''Commutation Act of 1784''' was a statute passed by the British Parliament under '''William Pitt the Younger''', who became Prime Minister in 1783. On the advice of the major London tea dealers, Pitt introduced the Act to reduce custom and excise duties on tea from '''119''' to '''12½%'''. Consequently, tea smuggling almost disappeared in a very short time. On the other hand, the Act aimed to establish the absolute monopoly of the '''East India Company''' in the international trade of tea.
-'''''Historical Background'''''
+'''1. Historical Background'''
-Catherine of Braganza, as a tea addict, brought tea-drinking culture to the English court in the mid-17th century. But the high tax restricted tea consumption to the wealthy. At the end of the 17th century, the retail price of tea was about ￡1 per lb. At that time, the highest weekly income of a skilled craftsman was only ￡1, and that of the average labourer only about 40p.
+Catherine of Braganza, as a tea addict, brought tea-drinking culture to the British court in the mid-17th century. But the high tax restricted tea consumption to the wealthy. At the end of the 17th century, the retail price of tea was about ￡1 per lb. At that time, the highest weekly income of a skilled craftsman was only ￡1, and that of the average labourer only about 40p.
-The pursuit of tea by the British was phenomenal in the 18th century. By the mid-18th century the consumption of tea had gradually expanded to different classes of people. Recorded imports into the British market rose from 13,082lbs in 1699 to 4,727,992lbs in 1750. The officially imported tea still could not meet the market demand. With insufficient supply and huge profit margins, tea smuggling became rampant. It has been estimated that the annual consumption of illicit tea in Britain up to the 1770s was equal to or even higher than that of legal tea.
+The pursuit of tea by the British was phenomenal in the 18th century. By the mid-18th century the consumption of tea had gradually expanded to different classes of the country. Recorded imports into the British market rose from 13,082lbs in 1699 to 4,727,992lbs in 1750. The officially imported tea still could not meet the market demand. With insufficient supply and huge profit margins, tea smuggling became rampant. It has been estimated that the annual consumption of illicit tea in Britain up to the 1770s was equal to or even higher than that of legal tea. Skillful tactics of the smugglers, the involvement of local townspeople and the violence of the notorious smuggling gangs, such as the Hawkhurst Gang, had heightened the difficulty of various parliamentary efforts to ban smuggling. The situation in which government revenue was severely affected did not change until Pitt came to power.

Mengjing at 22:27, 1 July 2023

2023-07-01T22:27:33Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:27, 1 July 2023
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	Catherine of Braganza, as a tea addict, brought tea-drinking culture to the English court in the mid-17th century. But the high tax restricted tea consumption to the wealthy. At the end of the 17th century, the retail price of tea was about ￡1 per lb. At that time, the highest weekly income of a skilled craftsman was only ￡1, and that of the average labourer only about 40p.		Catherine of Braganza, as a tea addict, brought tea-drinking culture to the English court in the mid-17th century. But the high tax restricted tea consumption to the wealthy. At the end of the 17th century, the retail price of tea was about ￡1 per lb. At that time, the highest weekly income of a skilled craftsman was only ￡1, and that of the average labourer only about 40p.

	The pursuit of tea by the British was phenomenal in the 18th century. By the mid-18th century the consumption of tea had gradually expanded to different classes of people. Recorded imports into the British market rose from 13,082lbs in 1699 to 4,727,992lbs in 1750.		The pursuit of tea by the British was phenomenal in the 18th century. By the mid-18th century the consumption of tea had gradually expanded to different classes of people. Recorded imports into the British market rose from 13,082lbs in 1699 to 4,727,992lbs in 1750. The officially imported tea still could not meet the market demand. With insufficient supply and huge profit margins, tea smuggling became rampant. It has been estimated that the annual consumption of illicit tea in Britain up to the 1770s was equal to or even higher than that of legal tea.

Mengjing at 22:15, 1 July 2023

2023-07-01T22:15:11Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:15, 1 July 2023
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	The Commutation Act of 1784 was a statute passed by the British Parliament under William Pitt the Younger, who became Prime Minister in 1783. On the advice of the major London tea dealers, Pitt introduced the Act to reduce the tea tax from the previous 119% to 12½%. Consequently, tea smuggling almost disappeared in a very short time. On the other hand, the Act aimed to establish the absolute monopoly of the East India Company in the international trade of tea.		The '''Commutation Act of 1784''' was a statute passed by the British Parliament under '''William Pitt the Younger''', who became Prime Minister in 1783. On the advice of the major London tea dealers, Pitt introduced the Act to reduce the tea tax from the previous '''119%''' to '''12½%'''. Consequently, tea smuggling almost disappeared in a very short time. On the other hand, the Act aimed to establish the absolute monopoly of the '''East India Company''' in the international trade of tea.

	''Historical Background''		'''''Historical Background'''''

	Catherine of Braganza, as a tea addict, brought tea-drinking culture to the English court in the mid-17th century. But the high tax restricted tea consumption to the wealthy. At the end of the 17th century, the retail price of tea was about ￡1 per lb. At that time, the highest weekly income of a skilled craftsman was only ￡1, and that of the average labourer only about 40p. The pursuit of tea by the British was phenomenal in the 18th century.		Catherine of Braganza, as a tea addict, brought tea-drinking culture to the English court in the mid-17th century. But the high tax restricted tea consumption to the wealthy. At the end of the 17th century, the retail price of tea was about ￡1 per lb. At that time, the highest weekly income of a skilled craftsman was only ￡1, and that of the average labourer only about 40p.

			The pursuit of tea by the British was phenomenal in the 18th century. By the mid-18th century the consumption of tea had gradually expanded to different classes of people. Recorded imports into the British market rose from 13,082lbs in 1699 to 4,727,992lbs in 1750.

Mengjing at 22:06, 1 July 2023

2023-07-01T22:06:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:06, 1 July 2023
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	The Commutation Act of 1784 was a statute passed by the British Parliament under William Pitt the Younger, who became Prime Minister in 1783. On the advice of the major London tea dealers, Pitt introduced the Act to reduce the tea tax from the previous 119% to 12½%. Consequently, tea smuggling almost disappeared in a very short time. On the other hand, the Act aimed to establish the absolute monopoly of the East India Company in the international trade of tea.		The Commutation Act of 1784 was a statute passed by the British Parliament under William Pitt the Younger, who became Prime Minister in 1783. On the advice of the major London tea dealers, Pitt introduced the Act to reduce the tea tax from the previous 119% to 12½%. Consequently, tea smuggling almost disappeared in a very short time. On the other hand, the Act aimed to establish the absolute monopoly of the East India Company in the international trade of tea.

			''Historical Background''

			Catherine of Braganza, as a tea addict, brought tea-drinking culture to the English court in the mid-17th century. But the high tax restricted tea consumption to the wealthy. At the end of the 17th century, the retail price of tea was about ￡1 per lb. At that time, the highest weekly income of a skilled craftsman was only ￡1, and that of the average labourer only about 40p. The pursuit of tea by the British was phenomenal in the 18th century.

Mengjing at 20:41, 1 July 2023

2023-07-01T20:41:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:41, 1 July 2023
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	~~tax on tea~~		The Commutation Act of 1784 was a statute passed by the British Parliament under William Pitt the Younger, who became Prime Minister in 1783. On the advice of the major London tea dealers, Pitt introduced the Act to reduce the tea tax from the previous 119% to 12½%. Consequently, tea smuggling almost disappeared in a very short time. On the other hand, the Act aimed to establish the absolute monopoly of the East India Company in the international trade of tea.
	William Pitt the Younger

Mengjing: Created page with "tax on tea William Pitt the Younger"

2023-06-27T21:01:51Z

Created page with "tax on tea William Pitt the Younger"

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tax on tea
William Pitt the Younger