How Did the Boston Tea Party Happen?
The Boston Tea Party took place on December 16, 1773 and will go down in history as one of the most iconic acts of protest in the United States. It was an event that helped spark the American Revolution and ultimately led to America’s independence and the formation of our current government. But, how exactly did the Boston Tea Party happen?
The Spark of the Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was sparked by a series of taxes that the British government had imposed on the American people. Known as the Townshend Acts, these taxes placed a price on items like glass, tea, lead, paper, and other popular items. The purpose of the taxes was to generate more revenue and help pay off the debt that the British had incurred during the French and Indian War.
The American colonists opposed these taxes and protested heavily against them. They argued that the taxes took away some of their liberties, which made them feel as if they were not really represented in the government. The protests eventually died down and the colonists accepted the new taxes, that is, until the crown tried to exempt the East India Company, a large merchant company, from paying taxes. This news outraged the Americans and sparked the Boston Tea Party.
What Happened at the Boston Tea Party
The evening of December 16th, 1773 a group of approximately 150 men who called themselves the “Sons of Liberty” gathered at the Boston Harbor. They boarded three merchant ships, the Dartmouth, the Beaver, and the Eleanor, who were docked in the harbor. When the men got on board, they began to throw approximately 300 chests of tea overboard.
Each chest contained up to 100 pounds of tea, making the total amount of tea thrown overboard about 46 tons. This caused quite a scene and created a huge uproar in the harbor. After the tea had been thrown overboard, the crowd shouted “Liberty forever!”
The Aftermath of the Boston Tea Party
After the Boston Tea Party, it did not take long for the British to react. The crown was outraged by the colonists’ actions and responded with a series of laws known as the Intolerable Acts. These Acts closed the port of Boston, making it illegal to trade with any other country, and also restricted the colonists’ right to assemble. These acts would ultimately trigger the American Revolution.
In conclusion, the Boston Tea Party was a pivotal moment in American history that helped spark the American Revolution and ultimately led to America’s independence. The Tea Party was the result of a series of taxes imposed on the American people by the British and the crown’s decision to exempt the East India Company from paying them. This decision caused the Sons of Liberty to take action and board ships at the Boston Harbor and throw 300 chests of tea overboard. In response to the Tea Party, the British enacted the Intolerable Acts which ultimately set the stage for the revolution and America’s independence.
