Boston Tea Party
December 16, 1773 · Early Modern
On December 16, 1773, American colonists in Boston boarded three British East India Company ships — the Dartmouth, Eleanor, and Beaver — and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. The action protested the Tea Act of 1773, which granted the East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies while maintaining the Townshend duty. Organized by the Sons of Liberty, the destruction of approximately 92,000 pounds of tea prompted Parliament to pass the Coercive Acts of 1774.
Key Figures
Samuel AdamsJohn AdamsJohn HancockThomas Hutchinson
Locations
Boston HarborGriffin's WharfOld South Meeting House
Topics
BostonTea ActSons of LibertyMassachusettsAmerican RevolutionBoston Tea Party
Connected Events — 2 Connections
The Tea Party's destruction of East India Company property prompted Parliament to pass the Coercive Acts in 1774, which united colonial opposition and led Samuel Adams and other Sons of Liberty to stockpile weapons in Concord - the very weapons British forces marched to seize on April 19, 1775 American Revolution Begins
Provided one of the specific grievances against British taxation policy that Jefferson cited in the Declaration's list of colonial complaints, transforming local resistance into universal principles of consent and representation Declaration of Independence Adopted
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