The History of Global Trade in Tea

"Tea: A History of Global Trade" creates an elegant commodity history that places tea in a broader economic and cultural context, using a convincing analysis to describe tea consumption in eighteenth-century North America and describe the economic and social phenomena that resulted. In the book, tea has become a typical global trade commodity with the promotion of trading companies and the development of market trends. The British and the East India Company used their global trading capabilities, as well as clever market strategies and the sufficient sugar supply capacity in the Caribbean, to turn North America into an important consumer market for tea. American consumers gradually became accustomed to this drink, and tea changed from a luxury product to a necessity. This necessity has also become an important symbol affecting the North American economy and society.