What group was most responsible for Boston Tea Party?
Though lead by Samuel Adams and his Sons of Liberty and organized by John Hancock, the names of many of those involved in the Boston Tea Party remain unknown. Thanks to their Native American costumes, only one of the tea party culprits, Francis Akeley, was arrested and imprisoned.
Why the Boston Tea Party was such a great event?
The event was the first major act of defiance to British rule over the colonists. It showed Great Britain that Americans wouldn’t take taxation and tyranny sitting down, and rallied American patriots across the 13 colonies to fight for independence.
Who dumped the tea into the Boston Tea Party?
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest that occurred on December 16, 1773, at Griffin’s Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. American colonists, frustrated and angry at Britain for imposing “taxation without representation,” dumped 342 chests of tea, imported by the British East India Company into the harbor.
Who threw tea over board at the Boston Tea Party?
Why did colonists throw tea overboard? It was an act of protest in which a group of 60 American colonists threw 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor to agitate against both a tax on tea (which had been an example of taxation without representation) and the perceived monopoly of the East India Company.
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What was the Boston Tea Party and who led it?
The Boston Tea Party was organized and carried out by a group of Patriots led by Samuel Adams known as the Sons of Liberty.
Who was the mastermind behind the Boston Tea Party?
Samuel AdamsThe Boston Tea Party, carried out by the Sons of Liberty and led by Samuel Adams, was a catalyst for the start of war and a principal reason why the Revolutionary War began in Massachusetts.
Who threw the tea in the Boston Tea Party?
the Sons of LibertyIt showed that the Sons of Liberty identified with America, over their official status as subjects of Great Britain. That evening, a group of 30 to 130 men, some dressed in the Mohawk warrior disguises, boarded the three vessels and, over the course of three hours, dumped all 342 chests of tea into the water.
Who were important figures in the Boston Tea Party?
Boston Tea Party Organizers Famous Boston Patriots who were members of the Sons of Liberty included John Adams, John Hancock, James Otis, Josiah Quincy, Paul Revere, and Dr. Joseph Warren.
Did the Sons of Liberty dump the tea?
340 chests of British East India Company Tea, weighing over 92,000 pounds (roughly 46 tons), onboard the Beaver, Dartmouth, and Eleanor were smashed open by the Sons of Liberty armed with an assortment of axes and dumped into Boston Harbor the night of December 16, 1773.
Who started tea party movement?
Americans for Prosperity, an organization founded by David H. Koch in 2003, and led by Tim Phillips. The group has over 1 million members in 500 local affiliates and led protests against health care reform in 2009.
Who owned the tea thrown in Boston Harbor?
the British East India CompanyBoston Tea Party, (December 16, 1773), incident in which 342 chests of tea belonging to the British East India Company were thrown from ships into Boston Harbor by American patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians.
What are 4 facts about the Boston Tea Party?
7 Surprising Facts About the Boston Tea PartyColonists weren't protesting a higher tax on tea. ... The attacked ships were American and the tea wasn't the King's. ... The tea was Chinese, not Indian, and lots of it was green. ... The Tea Party, itself, didn't incite revolution.More items...•
Is the tea still in Boston Harbor?
In short not likely. Beyond the issues of the tea, bags, and wooden crates breaking down over time. The area where the ships were has been filled in as part of the radical changes in the Boston coast since 1773.
What was Paul Revere's role in the Boston Tea Party?
Folk hero Paul Revere was a silversmith and ardent colonialist. He took part in the Boston Tea Party and was a principal rider for Boston's Committee of Safety. In that role, he devised a system of lanterns to warn the minutemen of a British invasion, setting up his famous ride on April 18, 1775.
What was Samuel Adams role in the Boston Tea Party?
Role in the Boston Tea Party After the British Parliament passed the Tea Act in 1773, which sought to force the colonists to buy their tea from the British East India Company, Adams helped organize Bostonians to hinder the tea shipments.
What did John Adams do in the Boston Tea Party?
Adams was the leader of the New England Sons of Liberty organization. Adams was the person who initiated the two town meetings to discuss the options left to Bostonians after the governor refused to honor the resolution passed at a previous town meeting that called the tea to be sent back to England.
What really caused the Boston Tea Party?
American colonists, frustrated and angry at Britain for imposing “taxation without representation,” dumped 342 chests of tea, imported by the British East India Company into the harbor. The event was the first major act of defiance to British rule over the colonists.
What are 4 facts about the Boston Tea Party?
7 Surprising Facts About the Boston Tea PartyColonists weren't protesting a higher tax on tea. ... The attacked ships were American and the tea wasn't the King's. ... The tea was Chinese, not Indian, and lots of it was green. ... The Tea Party, itself, didn't incite revolution.More items...•
How much is 342 chests of tea?
On December 16, 1773, over one hundred American colonists dressed as Native Americans boarded three merchant ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea (valued at approximately $1.7 million in today's currency) into the water.
What did they yell during the Boston Tea Party?
Follow your Patriot as you march to Griffin's Wharf to dump the tea into Boston Harbor! Join your host in shouting, "Dump the tea, into the sea!" and make sure you wear your Mohawk disguise!
What was the Boston Tea Party?
e. The Boston Tea Party was an American political and mercantile protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773. The target was the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, which allowed the British East India Company to sell tea from China in American colonies without paying taxes apart from those imposed by the Townshend Acts.
What was the Tea Party?
The Tea Party became an iconic event of American history, and since then other political protests such as the Tea Party movement have referred to themselves as historical successors to the Boston protest of 1773.
What was the Townshend Revenue Act of 1767?
To help offset this loss of government revenue, Parliament also passed the Townshend Revenue Act of 1767, which levied new taxes, including one on tea, in the colonies. Instead of solving the smuggling problem, however, the Townshend duties renewed a controversy about Parliament's right to tax the colonies.
How many tea chests were in the East India Company?
In the ships were more than 2,000 chests containing nearly 600,000 pounds of tea.
Why did the Sons of Liberty oppose the Townshend Act?
The Sons of Liberty strongly opposed the taxes in the Townshend Act as a violation of their rights. Protesters, some disguised as American Indians, destroyed an entire shipment of tea sent by the East India Company. The demonstrators boarded the ships and threw the chests of tea into the Boston Harbor.
Where was tea shipped to?
The Tea Act in 1773 authorized the shipment of 5,000 chests of tea (250 tons) to the American colonies. There would be a tax of £1,750 to be paid by the importers when the cargo landed.
When was tea imported into the colonies?
From 1771 to 1773 , British tea was once again imported into the colonies in significant amounts, with merchants paying the Townshend duty of three pence per pound in weight of tea. Boston was the largest colonial importer of legal tea; smugglers still dominated the market in New York and Philadelphia.
Why did the Boston Tea Party happen?
The midnight raid, popularly known as the “ Boston Tea Party ,” was in protest of the British Parliament’s Tea Act of 1773, a bill designed to save the faltering East India Company by greatly lowering its tea tax and granting it a virtual monopoly on the American tea trade. The low tax allowed the East India Company to undercut even tea smuggled ...
How much was the tea dumped in Boston Harbor?
The British tea dumped in Boston Harbor on the night of December 16 was valued at some $18,000. Parliament, outraged by the blatant destruction of British property, enacted the Coercive Acts, also known as the Intolerable Acts, in 1774.
What ships were in Boston Harbor?
When three tea ships, the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver, arrived in Boston Harbor, the colonists demanded that the tea be returned to England.
Who was responsible for organizing the Boston Tea Party?
The Sons of Liberty, led by Samuel Adams, was responsible for organizing the Boston Tea Party. The people of Boston and the surrounding towns meet to discuss the “tea crisis” at the Old South Meeting House. November 29 to 30, 1773.
How much tea was thrown into the Boston Tea Party?
In a span of three hours, 340 chests of British East India Company Tea were smashed and dumped into Boston Harbor. Over 92,000 pounds of tea were destroyed and thrown into the harbor. The implication and impact of the Boston Tea Party were enormous; the event directly led to the sparking of the American Revolution on April 19, 1775.
What happened on December 16 1773?
On the winter night of Thursday, December 16, 1773 the “tea crisis” in Boston came to a head. Members of the Sons of Liberty disguised as Mohawk Indians were armed with an assortment of axes. They quietly boarded three ships carrying cargoes of British East India Company tea moored at Griffin’s Wharf.
Where did the Dartmouth meet?
For the twenty days following the arrival of the Dartmouth, meetings occurred on a daily basis throughout Boston at locations such as the Green Dragon Tavern, Faneuil Hall, and Old South Meeting House to discuss what was to be done about the shipments of “detested tea”.
Where did black tea originate?
The tea came from China and was described as the “Bohea” type. In the 18th century tea trade, black tea was referred to as “Bohea” which traditionally came from the Wuyi Mountain region of China, but the term “Bohea” was hijacked by the tea trade to refer to all black tea varieties.
When did tea have to be taxed in Boston?
With the arrival of the three shipments of British East India Company tea to Boston, the tax on tea, which had been implemented with the passing of the 1767 Townshend Revenue Act, had to be paid the moment the tea was unloaded from the Beaver, Dartmouth, and Eleanor.
What was the last ship to sail from London to Boston?
On December 15, 1773, the Beaver, the last of the three ships sailing from London, England arrived at Griffin’s Wharf in Boston. The Beaver was delayed due to a case of smallpox which broke out onboard, and she was held in quarantine for two weeks in Boston’s outer harbor. Previously, the Dartmouth had arrived at Griffin’s Wharf on November 28 and the Eleanor on December 2. The Beaver was commanded by Captain Coffin, the Dartmouth by Captain Hall, and the Eleanor by Captain Bruce. There were to be four ships, but the William ran aground off Cape Cod on December 10, 1773, in a violent storm. The Beaver, Dartmouth, and Eleanor each carried more than one hundred chests of British East India Company Tea. The tea came from China and was described as the “Bohea” type. In the 18th century tea trade, black tea was referred to as “Bohea” which traditionally came from the Wuyi Mountain region of China, but the term “Bohea” was hijacked by the tea trade to refer to all black tea varieties. Additionally, the shipment of British East India Company tea also contained green tea from the Chinese province of Anhui..
What was the Boston Tea Party?
Though celebrated by the colonials, the Boston Tea Party quickly unified Parliament against the colonies. Angered by a direct affront to royal authority, the ministry of Lord North began devising a punishment. In early 1774, Parliament passed a series of punitive laws which were dubbed the Intolerable Acts by the colonials. The first of these, the Boston Port Act, closed Boston to shipping until the East India Company had been repaid for the destroyed tea. This was followed by the Massachusetts Government Act, which allowed the Crown to appoint most positions in the Massachusetts colonial government. Supporting this was the Administration of Justice Act, which permitted the royal governor to move the trials of accused royal officials to another colony or Britain if a fair trial was unobtainable in Massachusetts. Along with these new laws, a new Quartering Act was enacted. This allowed British troops to use unoccupied buildings as quarters when in the colonies. Overseeing implementation of the acts was the new royal governor, Lieutenant General Thomas Gage, who arrived in April 1774.
What happened to the tea ship Dartmouth?
Arriving at Boston in late November, the tea ship Dartmouth was prevented from unloading. Calling a public meeting, Sons of Liberty leader Samuel Adams spoke before a large crowd and called on Hutchinson to send the ship back to Britain. Aware that law required Dartmouth to land its cargo and pay duties within 20 days of its arrival, he directed members of the Sons of Liberty to watch the ship and prevent the tea from being unloaded. Over the next several days, Dartmouth was joined by Eleanor and Beaver. The fourth tea ship, William, was lost at sea. As Dartmouth 's deadline neared, colonial leaders pressured Hutchinson to allow the tea ships to leave with their cargo.
How did the Tea Act help the East India Company?
This reduced importation duties on the company and also allowed it to sell tea directly to the colonies without first wholesaling it in Britain. This would result in East India Company tea costing less in the colonies than that provided by smugglers. Moving forward, the East India Company began contracting sales agents in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. Aware that the Townshend duty would still be assessed and that this was an attempt by Parliament to break the colonial boycott of British goods, groups like the Sons of Liberty spoke out against the act.
What were the taxes that the Townshend Acts placed on the colonies?
Still seeking additional revenue, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts in June 1767. These placed indirect taxes on various commodities such as lead, paper, paint, glass, and tea.
Where did the tea ships sail?
While four sailed for Boston, one each headed for Philadelphia, New York, and Charleston. Learning of the terms of the Tea Act, many in the colonies began to organize in opposition. In the cities south of Boston, pressure was brought to bear on the East India Company's agents and many resigned before the tea ships arrived.
Why did the East India Company sell tea?
Due to a variety of taxes in Britain, the company's tea was more expensive than tea smuggled into the region from Dutch ports. Though Parliament aided the East India Company by reducing tea taxes through the Indemnity Act of 1767, the legislation expired in 1772. As a result of this, prices rose sharply and consumers returned to using smuggled tea. This led to the East India Company amassing a large surplus of tea, which they were unable to sell. As this situation persisted, the company began to face a financial crisis.
What was the first act of the colonial government to shut down Boston?
In early 1774, Parliament passed a series of punitive laws which were dubbed the Intolerable Acts by the colonials. The first of these, the Boston Port Act, closed Boston to shipping until the East India Company had been repaid for the destroyed tea.
A Brief History
On December 16, 1773, Americans proved that they were not willing to be pushed around by a government that levied onerous taxes upon them, and this displeasure was expressed in the civil act of defiance known to us today as The Boston Tea Party.
Digging Deeper
Today’s anti-tax minded Americans calling themselves the TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party Movement (circa 2010) finds its origins in this step leading to the American Revolutionary War.
Why was the Boston Tea Party important?
The Boston Tea Party was the culmination of a series of events that steadily aroused the ire of colonists who considered themselves British subjects and should have the same rights and privileges as any subjects that lived in England including representation in Parliament. England needed money especially after the French and Indian Wars ...
What was the first tea ship in Boston?
On November 28, 1773, the Dartmouth was the first “tea ship” to arrive in Boston, commanded by Captain James Hall with mate Hodgdon. Upon entering the harbor, Hall proceeded to take the Dartmouth to Rowe’s Wharf. ...
How many chests of tea did the Dartmouth carry?
The Dartmouth was loaded with 114 chests of tea weighing about 350 pounds apiece and the Beaver carried 112 chests. The Beaver’s hold was also filled with fine English furniture. A chair from this cargo is displayed in the Nantucket Historical Association.
What is the third ship in the Tea Party?
The third vessel, the Dartmouth, will be built from the keel up when the other two ships are finished. The three vessels will give the site the full complement of the ships that took part in the Tea Party. Never before have these vessels been given their significant place in our country’s history.
How much was the tea chest destroyed by the British?
Armed with axes and hatchets, they systematically destroyed 342 chests of British tea, weighing over 92,000 pounds, worth over one million dollars in today’s money.
Who urged Rotch to return the tea?
At a public meeting, Samuel Adams, John Hancock and others, supported by thousands of Boston residents, urged him to return the tea in the same vessels in which it arrived, but Rotch knew that he would not be granted the needed permission from Governor Hutchinson to do so.
Who was the captain of the Eleanor?
December 2, 1773. The Eleanor, owned by a leading Boston merchant, John Rowe, and commanded by Tory sympathizer, Captain Bruce, arrived in Boston carrying 114 chests of tea. Stopping first at Rowe’s Wharf she was ordered to Griffin’s Wharf to lie along side the Dartmouth under the watch of the Patriots with stern instruction not to land the tea although the other cargo could be unloaded. Anyone unloading the tea would be treated “as wretches unworthy to live and will be made the first victims of our just Resentment.” (133, Labaree)
Overview
The Boston Tea Party was an American political and mercantile protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773. The target was the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, which allowed the British East India Company to sell tea from China in American colonies without paying taxes apart from those imposed by the Townshend Acts. The Sons of Liberty strongly opposed the tax…
Background
The Boston Tea Party arose from two issues confronting the British Empire in 1765: the financial problems of the British East India Company; and an ongoing dispute about the extent of Parliament's authority, if any, over the British American colonies without seating any elected representation. The North Ministry's attempt to resolve these issues produced a showdown that would eventually result in revolution.
Tea Act of 1773
The Indemnity Act of 1767, which gave the East India Company a refund of the duty on tea that was re-exported to the colonies, expired in 1772. Parliament passed a new act in 1772 that reduced this refund, effectively leaving a 10% duty on tea imported into Britain. The act also restored the tea taxes within Britain that had been repealed in 1767, and left in place the three pence Townsh…
Resisting the Tea Act
In September and October 1773, seven ships carrying East India Company tea were sent to the colonies: four were bound for Boston, and one each for New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. In the ships were more than 2,000 chests containing nearly 600,000 pounds of tea. Americans learned the details of the Tea Act while the ships were en route, and opposition began to mount. Whigs, …
Standoff in Boston
In every colony except Massachusetts, protesters were able to force the tea consignees to resign or to return the tea to England. In Boston, however, Governor Hutchinson was determined to hold his ground. He convinced the tea consignees, two of whom were his sons, not to back down.
When the tea ship Dartmouth, arrived in the Boston Harbor in late November, …
Destruction of the Tea
While Samuel Adams tried to reassert control of the meeting, people poured out of the Old South Meeting House to prepare to take action. In some cases, this involved donning what may have been elaborately prepared Mohawk costumes. While disguising their individual faces was imperative, because of the illegality of their protest, dressing as Mohawk warriors was a specific and symbolic cho…
Reaction
Whether or not Samuel Adams helped plan the Boston Tea Party is disputed, but he immediately worked to publicize and defend it. He argued that the Tea Party was not the act of a lawless mob, but was instead a principled protest and the only remaining option the people had to defend their constitutional rights.
In Great Britain, even those politicians considered friends of the colonies were …
Legacy
John Adams and many other Americans considered tea drinking to be unpatriotic following the Boston Tea Party. Tea drinking declined during and after the Revolution, resulting in a shift to coffee as the preferred hot drink.
According to historian Alfred Young, the term "Boston Tea Party" did not appear in print until 1834. Before that time, the event was usually referred to as the "d…