Definition
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest that took place in Boston, Massachusetts on December 16, 1773. It was a response to the British government’s decision to tax tea imported into the colonies. The incident involved a group of colonists disguising themselves as Native Americans and dumping a large shipment of tea into the Boston Harbor. The Boston Tea Party is often seen as one of the key events leading up to the American Revolution because Parliament responded with the Intolerable Acts.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As — The Destruction of the Tea.
- Date — December 16, 1773.
- Location — Griffin’s Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts.
- People Involved — Sons of Liberty.
Overview
- In 1773, the British East India Company was in financial trouble.
- Parliament passed the Tea Act, which allowed the company to sell its tea in American Colonies at a discounted price. Further, the company was allowed to choose the merchants who would sell the tea for them.
- The Tea Act gave the company a monopoly on the distribution and sale of tea in the colonies.
- The company was allowed to ship the tea without paying customs duties, as required by the Navigation Acts.
- Ttea was shipped to the major port cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston in the fall of 1773.
- On November 5, a town meeting was held in Boston where it was resolved that anyone “unloading receiving or vending the tea is an enemy to America.”
- The Sons of Liberty and others believed the lower price of tea was nothing more than a trick to entice them to accept legislation passed by Parliament.
- Governor Thomas Hutchinson refused to allow the tea to be shipped back to England.
- On the night of December 16, 1773, Bostonians gathered at Old South Meeting House.
- Samuel Adams gave a signal and a mob of colonists left the meeting, donned disguises, and went to Griffin’s Wharf.
- They boarded the tea ships, smashed open the tea chests, and dumped the tea into Boston Harbor.
- Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts to punish Boston and Massachusetts for the incident.
- For many years, the incident was known as the “Destruction of the Tea.”
Significance
The Boston Tea Party is important to the APUSH curriculum because Parliament responded by passing the Intolerable Acts, which inflicted significant economic harm on Boston and Massachusetts. The harm of these acts — and the threat they could be applied to other colonies — led to the organization of the First Continental Congress.
Video
This video from Daily Bellringer discusses the Boston Tea Party.
APUSH Resources
Use the following links and videos to study the Boston Massacre, the American Revolution, and the American Revolutionary War for the AP US History Exam. Also, be sure to look at our Guide to the AP US History Exam.
APUSH Units
The Boston Tea Party is part of the following:
- APUSH Unit 3: 1754–1800
- APUSH Unit 3: Topic 3.5 — The American Revolution
- The Road to Revolution (1763—1775)
Lesson Plans
- Boston Tea Party: Costume Optional? — National Endowment for the Humanities
- Boston Tea Party Lesson Plan — Delaware Department of Education (PDF)
- From Sea to Shining Sea: The Boston Tea Party — Massachusetts Historical Society
