The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party took place on Thursday, December 16th, 1773. It was a very important event in American history. It was a demonstration against taxation without representation and monopoly of the British East India Company to protest against taxation of the popular beverage, tea.
Causes of the Boston Tea Party
The causes of the Boston Tea Party are complex but ultimately rooted in Britain’s tight grip on the American colonies. The Stamp Act of 1765 sparked popular outcry and a boycott, then the Townshend Acts of 1767 placed heavy duties on imported goods like glass, paper, lead and of course, tea. The colonists responded with the formation of the Sons of Liberty and an even more widespread refusal to buy British goods.
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party began in protest of the Townshend Acts, which imposed duties and taxes on the colonists withou any representation in British Parliament. It started as a Boston-based protest but soon spread to other colonies, who backed the Boston protesters by organizing similar protests in their own cities.
On the night of December 16th, 1773, a group of angry colonists dressed as Mohawk Indians boarded a British merchant ship and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. This event, which galvanized other colonies against British taxation, became the Boston Tea Party.
Aftermath of the Boston Tea Party
The British retaliated harshly for the Boston Tea Party, passing the Intolerable Acts which included punishing the colony of Massachusetts for their treasonous act. This caused an uprising in the colonies, ultimately leading to the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775.
The Boston Tea Party is now a symbol of the American Revolution and rebellions against unfair taxation.
Effects of the Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party had both immediate and long-term effects on the American Revolution. Here are a few of those effects:
- It galvanized opposition to British taxation. Colonists across the 13 American colonies were inspired by the Boston Tea Party to stand up against high taxes and lack of representation in parliament.
- It sparked a larger conflict. The Intolerable Acts passed in response to the Tea Party set off a conflict that would ultimately lead to the Revolutionary War and American independence.
- It is a symbol of protest The Boston Tea Party is a symbol of protest against injustice and unfair taxation, and is still referenced by modern day activists.
