The Boston Tea Party was a pivotal political protest that took place on December 16, 1773, at Griffin's Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. It served as a primary catalyst for the American Revolutionary War by uniting the colonies against British rule.
Key Facts of the Event
- The Protest: Frustrated by "taxation
without representation" and the British East India Company's monopoly
on tea, a group of colonists—many from the Sons of Liberty—boarded
three ships: the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and
the Beaver.
- The Action: Disguised as Native Americans
(specifically Mohawk Indians) to hide their identities, they smashed and
dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor over the
course of three hours.
- Monetary Loss: Approximately 92,000 pounds of
tea were destroyed, valued at nearly £10,000 in 1773, which is equivalent
to roughly $1.7 million to $2 million today.
- Outcome: In retaliation, the British
Parliament passed the Coercive Acts (known in the
colonies as the Intolerable Acts) in 1774, which closed Boston
Harbor and established formal military rule in Massachusetts.
