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The symbolism of the last stop on the Tea Party Express tour was not lost on the crowd or on Sarah Palin Wednesday morning not far from the original site of the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre.

鈥�Boston, if anyone knows how to throw a tea party, it is you,鈥� she shouted to an enthusiastic crowd of several thousand.

For many of the several thousand who came, the event represents a fight for control of their destiny, as was the first Boston Tea party.

鈥淲e want to take back what鈥檚 ours,鈥� said Karen Gareau, a dental hygienist from neighboring Rhode Island. 鈥淧oliticians used to work for the people, now it seems we work for politicians. They鈥檙e not even listening to us and yet we have to pay these taxes. It鈥檚 taxation without representation.鈥�

It has nothing to do with being racist or an angry mob, as some critics have charged, said Scott Hennessey who works in law enforcement on Cape Cod. He took the day off with a friend from work and his friend鈥檚 father. All three have served in the military in wartime.

鈥淚鈥檓 not here because I鈥檓 angry, I鈥檓 here because I鈥檓 concerned,鈥� he emphasized.

Placards that portrayed otherwise at other rallies did not represent the true feeling of tea partyers, many in the crowd agreed, and there seemed to be a particular effort to present a more moderate image.

Unlike earlier tea party events, signs insulting President Obama personally were not in sight. (A few showed the Obama campaign symbol with a hammer and sickle imposed over it.)

Instead, signs read 鈥淢ister Obama, it鈥檚 the politics, not the person鈥� and 鈥淚鈥檓 a realist, not a racist.鈥� Yellow 鈥渄on鈥檛 tread on me flags鈥� and American flags were selling for $5. People were wearing everything from tie-dye to military fatigues to suits, and some had donned three-corner hats.

Boston's tea partyers: Who were they?

Like most tea party event goers, Boston鈥檚 were mainly white 鈥� with one notable exception.

Lloyd Marcus, a performer and author of 鈥淐onfessions of a Black Conservative鈥� is traveling on his third national Tea Party Express tour. He took the stage to sing, 鈥淪o when they call you a racist because you disagree, it鈥檚 just another one of their dirty tricks to silence you and me. I believe in the Constitution and all it stands for and anyone who tramples it should be booted out the door.鈥�

鈥淎re you a racist, angry, violent mob?鈥� he asked the crowd. 鈥淣o!鈥� people shouted back.

It鈥檚 a point others in the tea party movement have tried to emphasize.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 just ludicrous that people think this group is racist,鈥� says Brendan Steinhauser, campaign director for the conservative advocacy group FreedomWorks and author of 鈥淭he Conservative Revolution.鈥�

鈥淚f you look back at the march in Washington, there were 12 to 16 African American speakers that were embraced by the movement,鈥� he says.

Image still a problem

Still, the image of an angry, white mob mocking a black president 鈥� fair or not 鈥� remains an issue for the tea party movement.

鈥淚 think there鈥檚 definitely an effort by some of the leaders and organizers of the events to reduce and eliminate some of this because it鈥檚 bad publicity,鈥� says Alan Abramowitz, professor of political science at Emory University in Atlanta. 鈥淚t seems they鈥檙e trying to set some rules about what signs people can bring. To discourage those kinds of expressions.鈥�

As the former governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee was introduced, the crowd pressed forward applauding.

Palin accused President Obama of overreaching with his $787 billion economic stimulus program, and she criticized the administration鈥檚 health care, student loan, and financial regulatory overhauls.

Palin: 'You can keep the change.'

鈥淚s this what their change is all about?鈥� Palin asked. 鈥淚 want to tell 鈥榚m, 'Nah, we鈥檒l keep clinging to our Constitution and our guns and religion and you can keep the change.' 鈥�

Brenda Taylor from Lexington, Mass., was energized by Palin鈥檚 enthusiasm and outlook.

She鈥檇 worked on the campaign to elect Scott Brown (R) of Massachusetts to the US Senate, and she saw this as a major turnaround for the traditionally liberal state. (For his part, Senator Brown has kept his distance from the tea party movement, and he did not take part in the Boston event.)

Taylor has been unemployed for the past nine months 鈥� the first time she鈥檚 been out of work since she was 16. She says she鈥檚 disappointed in the current government but has faith in Palin鈥檚 ability to rally.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really a wake-up call to America,鈥� agreed Gayle Jendzejec of Rhode Island.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to put government back on our side 鈥� the side of the people,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 quite optimistic. If you know where to look, there鈥檚 signs of real hope all across this country. Patriots are standing up and speaking out.鈥�