The Boston Tea Party is one of the most famous American Protests. After the French and Indian war the British were looking for a way to recoup their losses by taxing American Colonies. This was not the only way the British tried to get back their losses. "A series of actions including the Stamp Act (1765), the Townsend Acts (1767) and the Boston Massacre (1770) agitated the colonists, straining relations with the mother country. But it was the Crown's attempt to tax tea that spurred the colonists to action and laid the groundwork for the American Revolution [1]." The Americans were not going to allow this to happen and did everything in the power to make sure it did not. "A group of indignant colonists, led by Samuel Adams , Paul Revere , and others, disguised themselves as Native Americans, boarded the ships on the night of Dec. 16, 1773, and threw the tea into the harbor [2]." They were successful in stopping the British from taxing them on goods.
The Outcome
“The historical significance of the Boston Tea Party is recognized more in the British response than in the event itself. As a result of the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed the following laws designed to punish the Americans [3].”
1.) The Coercive Acts - These acts, including the Boston Harbor bill, closed the harbor to all commercial traffic until Americans paid for the tea they dumped.
2.) The Administration of Justice Act - This act required the extradition (transfer) of all royal officials charged with capital crimes in America to courts in Great Britain.
3.) Massachusetts Government Act - This act ended self-rule in the colonies and made all elected officers in America subject to British appointment.
4.) Quartering Act - This was simply a new version of the 1765 Quartering Act which required Americans to provide accommodations (housing , food, clothing etc.) to British soldiers if necessary.
5.) Quebec Act - This act extended the Canadian border (British territory) into the Ohio River Valley and eliminated lands that were claimed by Massachusetts, Virginia and Connecticut.
These acts were called the Intolerable Acts in America and resulted in the formation of the Continental Congress.
Sited Sources
1. "The Boston Tea Party, 1773." EyeWitness to History - History through the Eyes of Those Who Lived It. Web. 24 Sept. 2010.2. "Boston Tea Party." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 23 Sep. 2010 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
3. "Boston Tea Party."<>
