The bread for the sandwiches should be fresh and without crusts. Some traditional ingredients are:    Thinly sliced cucumbers on buttered bread
Smoked salmon on dark bread
Egg salad
Pate on dark bread
Cream cheese on banana bread

While the preparation of these sandwiches can be time-consuming, one should plan to prepare them the day of the party and allow just enough time for them to briefly chill in the refrigerator prior to the guest’s arrival. Many items will either solidify and/or discolor if chilled overnight. Unfortunately, this is one event that does not lend itself to making the food the night before. If a “Lazy Susan” tray is available, it presents a wonderful way to display the various types of sandwiches. Plates should be set next to it, so that guests can pick from the tray and return to their seats. In traditional tearooms, its forerunner, known as a “dumbwaiter,” was on display in the center of the room. The sandwiches were also often served by the tearoom staff that brought the tray to each table and allowed the guests to make their selections.

Petit fours, which are small iced cakes, are the perfect finale to the sandwiches and provide the “dessert” course of this small meal.

Upon finding a suitable husband, Victorian women were expected to always be prepared to welcome any person who might come to call. In social partnership with her mate, the Victorian wife was adept at making a guest in her home feel special, and was a true asset to the advancement of her husband’s career interests and her family’s reputation. A beautiful tea service was an appropriate wedding gift, and at least one sterling silver tea service was almost mandatory. Tea and the appropriate finger sandwiches were always a part of the well-stocked Victorian household.

As one of the few nonacademic opportunities for camaraderie outside of the home, meeting for afternoon tea was another way young Victorian women could visit with each other and “see and be seen” within the community. When considered ready for “society,’ they could be observed at a reputable establishment, enjoying afternoon tea and practicing their skills of artful conversation. To this day, an invitation to a formal afternoon tea is an opportunity for any woman to wear the most tasteful and fashionable attire, including a hat and gloves.

If time allows, invitations to a proper Victorian tea should be written and mailed. A last minute invitation would have been thought of as a social slight; however, if it is unavoidable, the telephone can be used to warmly assure any guest who does not believe the invitation is genuine.
The invitation should state the date, time, and location of the event, which was customarily held in the afternoon. A host or hostess should also welcome the wearing of Victorian dress, if available, or at the very least, classically tailored modest attire for the women and a coat and tie for the gentlemen.

The proper exercise of manners was also an indication of the social status of the hosts and hostesses of this era. Invitees to current parties often practice the custom of asking the hostess if she would like help with the food or its preparation. During Victorian times, that would have been considered a breach of etiquette.

A guest contributed to the event by his or her prompt arrival to and departure from the party, as well as providing pleasant, stimulating conversation in between. These events were perfect parties for the introduction of new persons to the local social scene in small groups. Following the party, a handwritten note thanking the hostess and referencing a particularly enjoyable occurrence or food should be sent as soon as possible.

After an unfortunate encounter with the Queen of Hearts, where she accused him of “murdering” the time and then called for his head, the Mad Hatter made every attempt to stop time in its tracks, going so far as to carry a pocket watch with only the date present.
The Dormouse was apparently only pretending to be asleep and was encouraged to tell a story. When she did not understand the Dormouse’s story, Alice interrupted it with questions, much to the annoyance of the March Hare and Mad Hatter. Clearly, they did not want Alice to join them, and eventually, she leaves in disgust.

The phrase, “Mad as a Hatter,” has a factual basis in symptoms found in hat makers. Apparently mercury was used to process the felt material used in hats and inevitably, the vapors were inhaled. Exposure to the vapors affected the nervous system and could be fatal. A possible true historical model for the Mad Hatter is Theophilus Carter, the inventor of the alarm clock bed. Another possible source for the Mad Hatter character could be Roger Crab, a soldier under Oliver Cromwell. Mr. Crab was struck on the head and renounced his business as a hatter, choosing a life of poverty.

By dumping tea into Boston Harbor, the group of men known as the “Sons of Liberty” gave the local Governor Hutchinson a tangible demonstration of their displeasure of the policies he was entrusted to enforce. The men were disguised as American Indians; however, it was clear to all concerned that the protesters were conveying views held by American colonists. They were motivated by the Great Britain practice of “taxation without representation” levied upon the American colonies. Future Continental Congress delegates who participated in this act of protest include Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Although Governor Hutchinson may have disagreed with some of the policies of the British crown such as the Stamp Act (1765), he was far too entrenched in his own career advancement to promote American colonial interests.

The Boston Tea Party was just another indication that Governor Hutchinson was not in control of his jurisdiction. The following year as tensions heightened, Governor Hutchinson was replaced by General Gage, as it was determined that a military governor would be more effective. Any success General Gage enjoyed was short-lived. By now, the men who dumped tea into Boston Harbor were convinced they could control their own destiny.

The displeasure of the colonists reached a boiling point on December 16, 1773, when a group known as the “Sons of Liberty” disguised themselves as American Indians, boarded the decks of the American ships Dartmouth, Beaver and Eleanor, and emptied tea found within those ships into Boston Harbor. It now believed that the reasons for the disguises were to convey the association of the American Indian with the concept of freedom and not to belittle them.

The participants in these acts of protest straddled all classes of society, from the unemployed to tradesmen, teachers and physicians. Records of their approximate ages are incomplete; it is believed that these men were between the ages of 18 to 48 years. A few future signers of the Declaration of Independence were thought to have participated in the Boston Tea Party, including Samuel Adams, Paul Revere and John Hancock.

We often praise this act of protest and defiance by the American colonists, and find it justifiable in light of the times. Would we view the dumping of corporate cargo into Boston Harbor by protesting citizens with the same vigor today?