Consumed as tea around the world, Camellia sinensis raises questions about plantation labor practices and the environmental impact of monocultures.

In nineteenth century Ireland, tea could be a symbol of cultivation and respectability or ill health and chaos, depending on who was drinking it.

Behind the Victorian movement to replace tippling alcohol with a very British ritual.

After the Civil War, some elite women became obsessed with collecting antique china, the better to connect themselves to illustrious histories.

By the 19th century, tea was the British national beverage, and "tea histories" were a form of imperial propaganda.

The Treaty of Wanghia formalized the burgeoning ties between the two countries, opening the door to new commercial and cultural exchanges.

Nearly all American tea rooms were owned by women. They often opened up rooms in their homes or set up tables in their gardens.

Tea is bound up in the nation's history of colonial expansion. British tea drinkers preferred Chinese tea at first, and had to be convinced on patriotic grounds to drink tea from India.

In the 18th century, whether a person drank punch or tea revealed a lot about gender, stereotypes, sociability, and domesticity.