Colonialists loved their English tea
Tea was first introduced to America in the mid-seventeenth century by the Dutch. The beverage quickly became a ritual in upper-class households. At that time, New York was called New Amsterdam. It was not until 1664 that the British took over, and by then, tea was pretty much established in the colonialist society.
Only when King George III decided to tax tea on their colonies that tea drinking habits began to change. The Tea Act of 1773 and then the American Tea Rebellion also played a huge role. But we cannot deny the role the British influence played on the importance of tea in America today.