George Washington firmly believed the perpetrators of the Boston Tea Party should financially compensate the British East India Company for the destroyed cargo.

A closer look

George Washington firmly believed the perpetrators of the Boston Tea Party should financially compensate the British East India Company for the destroyed cargo. Despite modern American mythology painting the event as a glorious act of flawless patriotism, the actual founding fathers were incredibly nervous about the destruction of private property and the chaotic optics of guys dressed as Mohawk warriors throwing a tantrum. Benjamin Franklin even offered to pay for the tea out of his own pocket to smooth things over with the British government. It ruins the romanticized, rebellious narrative a bit when you realize the architects of American liberty were essentially just wealthy landlords having a panic attack about vandalism and desperately trying to distance themselves from the mob