The Boston Tea Party: Parliament’s Power and Revolution

The Boston Tea Party was a political protest that occured on December 16, 1773. At Griffin’s Wharf in Boston Massachusetts. American colonist, frustrated and angry at britain for imposing “taxation without representation”. Dumped 342 chest of british tea into the harbor. This act was a major defiance to british rule over colonist. 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.

British parliament granted the “East India Company Tea” access to put taxation on the american colonist tea sales. The tea on tax had existed since the passing of the 1767 townshend revenue act. Other things were taxed such as glass, lead, oil, paint , and paper. These things only were thought of because there were many protest going around and the parliament was fed up. The tea act wasn’t intended to anger colonist , it was to help the company get out of their dept. The east indian company was suffering with so much money it affected political and economic problems that occured in india.

After the passing of the Tea Act, seventeen million pounds of unsold tea the now British-East India Company were sold in the colonies in America. As soon as the tea was shipped out they were sold at a slow rate. ”American colonies undercut the business of colonial merchant. Prior to the Tea Act, colonial merchants purchased tea directly from British markets or smuggled from illegal markets. They then shipped it back to the colonies for resale. Outraged that American merchants were undercut, colonists initially in Philadelphia and New York refused the British East India Company tea to be offloaded and sent the ships back to England.”

Contents

• 1 Parliament’s Power
• 2 Sons of Liberty
• 3 Spark of the revolution
• 4 Parliaments response
• 5 Revolution
• 6 Conclusion

Parliament’s Power

Great britain put in place a Quartering act that was supposed to help soldiers rest. It was so whoever or whatever soldier can get the necessities they needed like a easy privilege. This “required colonial authorities to provide food, drink, quarters, fuel, and transportation to British forces stationed in their towns or villages. Resentment over this practice is reflected in the Third Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.” Many American colonist believed that this was a violation of the 1689 Bill of Rights. So the colonist retaliated until the “Quartering act” discontinued.

Sons of Liberty

The Sons of Liberty was a secret organization that was created in the Thirteen American Colonies to advance the rights of the European colonists and to fight taxation by the British government. The members of this group were Samuel Adams, Joseph Warren, Paul Revere, Benedict Arnold, Benjamin Edes, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, John Lamb, William Mackay, Alexander McDougall, James Otis, Benjamin Rush, Isaac Sears, Haym Solomon, James Swan, Charles Thomson, Thomas Young, Marinus Willett, and Oliver Wolcott. Further on the main leader was Samuel Adams, he called all the shots and was in charge of everything this rebelling group had done. Members were made of maem from all walks of colonial society but was notorious in recruiting tavern mongers, wharf rats, and other seedy characters looking to cause trouble. There were many followers that were conjoined in New York also to help with plans. The Boston part of the group (main part) had their meetings under the “liberty tree”. Their motto was, “No taxation without representation.”As the British Parliament began to put in place other laws and consequences into the colonies, the Sons of Liberty began react. Through the use of mob rule, tactics of fear, force, intimidation, and violence such as tar and feathering, and the stockpiling of arms, shot, and gunpowder, the Sons of Liberty effectively undermined British rule, paving the way to America’s independence.

Spark of the revolution

As pressure in the bostian colonies began to increase the likelihood of revolution, stories and tales were told all over the 13 colonies also throughout New England. The sons of liberty influenced an effective resistance against the British rule in American colonies on the peak of revolution. Mainly towards the unfair taxation upon them. The Sons of Liberty as an organization disbanded at the close of the American Revolution and as a political entity was replaced early in the Revolution by the more formal and qualified Committees of Safety. On December 16, 1773 members of the sons of Liberty dressed up as Mohawk Indians and dumped crates of British tea into the Boston harbor as a final protest to get revenge on British parliament for “abusing their power”. the colonists had their reasons. Tea was a favorite drink among the British and the colonies. It also was a major source of income to the East India Trading company. Since the colonies were told they could only buy tea from this one company. They were also told they had to pay high taxes on the tea. The tea was the main prize for British to get their money and value back. So when the colonist destroyed it, it sparked a panic where Britain had to find a new way to make money.

Parliaments response

In response to the dumping of the tea the British parliament shit down the Boston harboruntil the all the chest of British East India tea was paid for. This was under the British port act . In addition to the Boston Port Act, the Intolerable Acts also implemented the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, the Quartering Act. Colonists protested and coordinated resistance by convening the First Continental Congress in September and October of 1774 to petition Britain to repeal the Intolerable Acts.

Revolution

The Boston Tea Party was the key-event for the Revolutionary War. With this act, the colonists started the violent part of the revolution. It was the first try of the colonists, to rebel with violence against their own government. The following events were created by the snowball effect. There, all the colonists realized the first time, which they were treated wrong by the British government. It was an important step towards the independence dream, which was resting in the head of each colonist. They all flew from their mother country to start a new life in a new world, but the British government didn’t give them the possibility by controlling them. In the acts of the failed missions of the colonist , other colonist sent foot and other goods to help those in Boston. This created a militia , to protect themselves from the British army.

Conclusion

The Boston tea party was the main event that pushed Americans independence to what it is today. There was many other topics and events that helped colonist stand up for what they believe in. From non-violent protest to violet protest it was an act to be there own people. They didn’t want to be controlled by people who took their independence. As of this day we all can say if American colonist never protested there would be no America. It shaped America to how it is today. From the Declaration of Independence and the signing of the amendments. Colonist fought for what was theirs.