In 1773 Parliament had passed the Tea Act. By reducing the tax on imported British tea, this act gave British merchants an unfair advantage in selling their tea in America. American colonists condemned the act, and many planned to boycott tea.
The result? The Boston Tea Party.
When British tea ships arrived in Boston harbor, many citizens wanted the tea sent back to England without the payment of any taxes. The royal governor insisted on payment of all taxes. On this day in 1773 (December 16), about 50 members of the political organization called the 'Sons of Liberty,' dressed (not very convincingly) as Mohawk Indians. Three ships - the Dartmouth, the Eleanor and the Beaver - were loaded with hundreds of crates of tea. The men,in a very orderly and quiet fashion, boarded the ships and began destroying the cargo. By 9:00 PM they had smashed 342 crates of tea in all three ships and had thrown them into Boston Harbor.
More can be learned of this event at the Boston Tea Party Historical Society, a private, non-profit educational and cultural organization established in 1996 to preserve and share the Boston Tea Party history. The Society collects, preserves and tells the story of the Boston Tea Party through an interactive website and publishing.
Where Was the Actual Boston Tea Party Site?
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