How is the modern tea party movement different from the boston tea party of 1773

Google the phrase "Tea Party" these days, and the first dozen-or-so hits are all about the contemporary, multi-tentacled political force.

At the top of the screen, there's the obligatory Wikipedia entry: "The Tea Party movement is a populist political movement in the United States that emerged in 2009 through a series of locally and nationally coordinated protests."

Then there's the Tea Party site that lists local organizations; the TeaParty.org site featuring its founder, Dale Robertson; the American Family Association's Tea Party Day site; the Tea Party Express site that solicits funds for Tea Party candidates and on and on.

Google "American Tea Party" and you get pretty much the same roster of websites.

Somewhat lost in all of the lists is the original American Tea Party, the 1773 revolt by Boston colonists against British rule, a rebellion that turned out to be a seminal moment in the American Revolution.