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[Boston Tea Party Ballad] “A New Song. To the Plaintive Tune of Hosier’s Ghost”
Four Excellent Songs
Artifact IDTL 2026.1.13
Object Type
Temporary Loan
Date
1774
Printer
Judah Padock Spooner
(1748 - 1807)
Place MadeNorwich, Connecticut, United States of America
Medium
broadside ballad
DimensionsOverall W 7 1/2 in x D 12 1/2 in (19.1 cm x 31.8 cm)
Physical DescriptionA single-sheet printed broadside featuring a two-column typographic layout on a rectangular sheet of cream-colored 18th-century rag paper. The top of the document features a bold, centered headline reading "FOUR EXCELLENT SONGS." The underlying text is divided into two columns.The left column contains two complete poems: an upper piece titled "A NEW SONG. To the plaintive Tune of Hosier’s Ghost." and a lower piece titled "WINTER. A PASTORAL SONG." The right column contains the song's stanzas, followed by a final lyrical piece simply titled "A SONG." The typography utilizes italicized headings, and prominent woodcut initial drop-caps to introduce the beginning of each song.
This song sheet heroizes the events of the Boston Tea Party one year after it happened.
Vernacular music, which necessitated print, provided a way to spread the message of independence through popular entertainment.
This song sheet heroizes the events of the Boston Tea Party one year after it happened.
Vernacular music, which necessitated print, provided a way to spread the message of independence through popular entertainment.
Historical NoteSince the early nineteenth century, what happened on the night of December 16, 1773, has been called the Boston Tea Party. At the time, it was called merely “the destruction of the tea,” the last-resort action of Americans who had exhausted other legal options. In public gatherings that day, Bostonians learned that their attempts to redirect the tea had stalled, leaving only one day until it would be seized and taxed. That night, a well-ordered,
well-instructed band of 60 to 90 men, some disguised as Native Americans, resolved the impasse by raiding the three ships, smashing specific crates and chests, dumping the tea overboard, and turning the harbor into a well-saturated infusion of imperial overreach. The spectacle quickly gained folkloric status with ballads written about it, an example of which is shown here (note only the first song).
Additional Detailswell-instructed band of 60 to 90 men, some disguised as Native Americans, resolved the impasse by raiding the three ships, smashing specific crates and chests, dumping the tea overboard, and turning the harbor into a well-saturated infusion of imperial overreach. The spectacle quickly gained folkloric status with ballads written about it, an example of which is shown here (note only the first song).
Credit Lineon loan courtesy of the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection
National Archives Catalog CollectionJohn F. Kennedy Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 1676934)
National Archives Catalog SeriesPolitical Memorabilia (National Archives Identifier 1677287)
Use Restriction StatusRestricted - FullyUse Restriction NoteThe use of this image and document information is fully restricted. Reproduction in any manner is not allowed.On view