Changes

== Beginnings ==

== Beginnings ==

On December 16th, 2007, supporters of [[Ron Paul]] staged a re-enactment of the [[Boston Tea Party]] as a fundraiser event, and to promote Paul's bid for the presidency.<ref>[http://www.ronpaulforums.com/content.php?909-Who-Started-The-Modern-Day-Tea-Party-Movement-%28video%29&s=2b6ae18ef5615484bda67fa3c01678d6 Who Started The Modern Day Tea Party Movement? (video)], ronpaulforums.com, (Accessed August 19, 2011).</ref><ref>Warner Todd Huston. [http://bigjournalism.com/wthuston/2011/05/14/ap-tars-tea-party-movement-as-grandfathered-by-ron-paul/ AP Tars Tea Party Movement as ‘Grandfathered’ By Ron Paul], BigJournalism.com, May 14, 2011.</ref> Paul's GOP campaign received a "moneybomb", which broke the record for 24 hour fundraising.<ref>http://articles.latimes.com/2007/dec/17/nation/na-paul17</ref><ref>Ron Paul's Tea Party: a bigger money bomb. http://www.cnet.com/news/ron-pauls-tea-party-a-bigger-money-bomb/. 2007.</ref> This event coincided with the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.<ref>Kenneth P. Vogel. Associated Press. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2007-12-17-ronpaul-fundraising_N.htm.</ref> This was seen as a major upset to the Republican GOP establishment.<ref>Ron Paul vs. Sarah Palin for the Soul of the Tea Parties (2010).http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-hamsher/will-palin-and-the-neocon_b_456824.html</ref> Paul's youthful, libertarian minded, supporters created a divide within the republican party.<ref>PBS. The Ron Paul Phenomenon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3NtysJ5WI0</ref> <ref>http://thefederalist.com/2014/08/13/the-libertarian-moment-cant-just-be-a-moment/</ref>Juan Williams, a commentator at Fox News, commented that the Tea party emerged "from the ashes" of Paul's 2007-2008 presidential campaign.<ref> Williams, Juan (May 10, 2011). "Juan Williams: The Surprising Rise of Rep. Ron Paul". Fox News.</ref> David Weigel at slate.com said, "The first modern Tea Party events occurred in December 2007, long before Barack Obama took office, and they were organized by supporters of Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas..." <ref>http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2010/08/five_myths_about_the_tea_party.html</ref>

On December 16th, 2007, supporters of [[Ron Paul]] staged a re-enactment of the [[Boston Tea Party]] as a fundraiser event, and to promote Paul's bid for the presidency.<ref>[http://www.ronpaulforums.com/content.php?909-Who-Started-The-Modern-Day-Tea-Party-Movement-%28video%29&s=2b6ae18ef5615484bda67fa3c01678d6 Who Started The Modern Day Tea Party Movement? (video)], ronpaulforums.com, (Accessed August 19, 2011).</ref><ref>Warner Todd Huston. [http://bigjournalism.com/wthuston/2011/05/14/ap-tars-tea-party-movement-as-grandfathered-by-ron-paul/ AP Tars Tea Party Movement as ‘Grandfathered’ By Ron Paul], BigJournalism.com, May 14, 2011.</ref> Paul's GOP campaign received a "moneybomb", which broke the record for 24 hour fundraising.<ref>http://articles.latimes.com/2007/dec/17/nation/na-paul17</ref><ref>Ron Paul's Tea Party: a bigger money bomb. http://www.cnet.com/news/ron-pauls-tea-party-a-bigger-money-bomb/. 2007.</ref> This event coincided with the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.<ref>Kenneth P. Vogel. Associated Press. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2007-12-17-ronpaul-fundraising_N.htm.</ref> This was seen as a major upset to the Republican GOP establishment.<ref>Ron Paul vs. Sarah Palin for the Soul of the Tea Parties (2010).http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-hamsher/will-palin-and-the-neocon_b_456824.html</ref> Paul's youthful, libertarian minded, supporters created a divide within the Republican Party.<ref>PBS. The Ron Paul Phenomenon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3NtysJ5WI0</ref> <ref>http://thefederalist.com/2014/08/13/the-libertarian-moment-cant-just-be-a-moment/</ref>Juan Williams, a commentator at Fox News, commented that the Tea party emerged "from the ashes" of Paul's 2007-2008 presidential campaign.<ref> Williams, Juan (May 10, 2011). "Juan Williams: The Surprising Rise of Rep. Ron Paul". Fox News.</ref> David Weigel at slate.com said, "The first modern Tea Party events occurred in December 2007, long before Barack Obama took office, and they were organized by supporters of Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas..." <ref>http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2010/08/five_myths_about_the_tea_party.html</ref>

The tea party movement grew exponentially in magnitude in February 2009; however, while [[Rick Santelli|Rick Santelli's]] famous impassioned speech on CNBC was perhaps the most visible spark that ignited Tea Party gatherings across the nation, the movement's genesis was in progress long before that notable day.<ref>Tea Party Arose From Conservatives Steeped in Crisis. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304173704575578332725182228.html Birth of a Movement], ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', October 29, 2010.</ref>  The movement was in gestation for years, in the hearts and minds of American citizens concerned about the path down which [[progressive]] policies have been taking the United States of America.  The emergence of the Tea party Movement has been called [[Main Street]] America's indictment against the ruling class.<ref>Doug Mainwaring. [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/aug/13/tea-partys-inception-a-rebirth/ MAINWARING: Tea Party's inception a rebirth], ''[[The Washington Times]]'', August 13, 2010.</ref>

The tea party movement grew exponentially in magnitude in February 2009; however, while [[Rick Santelli|Rick Santelli's]] famous impassioned speech on CNBC was perhaps the most visible spark that ignited Tea Party gatherings across the nation, the movement's genesis was in progress long before that notable day.<ref>Tea Party Arose From Conservatives Steeped in Crisis. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304173704575578332725182228.html Birth of a Movement], ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', October 29, 2010.</ref>  The movement was in gestation for years, in the hearts and minds of American citizens concerned about the path down which [[progressive]] policies have been taking the United States of America.  The emergence of the Tea party Movement has been called [[Main Street]] America's indictment against the ruling class.<ref>Doug Mainwaring. [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/aug/13/tea-partys-inception-a-rebirth/ MAINWARING: Tea Party's inception a rebirth], ''[[The Washington Times]]'', August 13, 2010.</ref>