Dunkin’s National Donut Day Frenzy Has Historians Comparing It to the Boston Tea Party’s ‘Sweet Tax’ Rebellion
While TikTokers were battling for the last free glazed donut at Dunkin’ this National Donut Day, history buffs are drawing eerie parallels to December 16, 1773. Just as colonial smugglers disguised as Mohawks dumped 342 chests of East India Company tea into Boston Harbor to protest a corporate monopoly, today’s crowds swarmed Dunkin’ locations demanding their complimentary treat. Experts note the hidden pattern: both events involve a populace rebelling against a sudden, perceived loss of access—the 18th-century tea tax versus the 21st-century “donut scarcity algorithm” that limited the promotion to one per customer. “It’s the same outrage, just with sprinkles and iced coffee,” says Dr. Jane Fowler, a historical economist. “We’re watching a grassroots uprising against the tyranny of limited-time offers.”