The Boston Tea Party

What was the Boston Tea Party?

Due to the taxation of tea, a group of Americans went on to British ships in Boston and dumped 342 crates of tea into the sea. This caused losses of around £11,000.

What happened in the Boston Tea Party?

These were the main events of the Boston Tea Party.

• ❖ The colonists had been boycotting East India Company (EIC) tea, and smuggling in tea from other sources.
• ❖ To protect the EIC's profits, the British reduced the tax on tea, making EIC tea cheaper than the smuggled tea.
• ❖ However, this was seen as another way of Britain controlling trade. In protest, a group called the 'Sons of Liberty' boarded the EIC ships in Boston Harbour and dumped the crates of tea into the sea.
• ❖ Britain responded with the Coercive Acts, which were designed to damage the Boston economy.