Any person who has studied American history knows about this historical event. It was a beginning of a revolution. It was an act of protest against the British empire. It was an act of destroying the shipment of tea which by a secret revolutionary organization in US called Sons of Liberty on 16th Dec 1773.
How It All Started
- British parliament passed a series of acts during 1767 to 1768 relating to British colonies in America. These acts under the heading of " Townshend Act" are assumed to be as follows
- The New York restraining act
- The Revenue Act
- The Indemnity Act
- The Commissioner of Customs Act
- These acts were passed with the intention of maximizing the revenue to pay handsome remuneration to governors & judges in the British Government, to enforce effective compliance on trade regulations and to establish a precedent that British parliament had the right to tax the colonies.
- Europeans developed a taste of tea in the 17th century and there were companies formed to import tea from China. In England, the parliament granted a monopoly of importing tea to East India Company in 1698. As tea became popular in the British Colonies, British parliament attempted to eliminate competition by passing an act in 1721, stating that colonies have to import tea only from Great Britain.
- East India Company, by law, was not allowed to export tea to the colonies. Tea supplied from East India companies was sold in wholesale auctions in Britain. The merchants purchased these teas and sold it to the colonies at a higher price.
- British parliament later on heavily taxed the teas sold by East India Company in Britain. Due to the heavy taxation, smuggling of Dutch tea was promoted by a majority of traders. This led to consumption of Dutch smuggled tea in Britain and American Colonies, which resulted in financial losses for East India company.
- Among these events, the main trigger for Boston Tea Party was the Tea Act of 10th May 1773. This act 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
- American Patriots strongly opposed the taxes imposed on them in the Townshend Act. Hence demonstrators boarded the ship and threw 342 chests of tea overboard into the Boston Harbor.
- Tea party was the culmination of resistance movement throughout British America against the Tea Act. The colonist objected to the Tea Act because they believed it violated their rights as Englishmen to " No taxation without representation". It gave advantage to East India Company with respect to colonial tea importers, who also feared of losing business.
- The Major reasons for Boston Tea party were financial problems of East India company due to heavy taxation policy of British Parliament & the ongoing dispute about the extent of parliaments authority.
- British parliament reacted harshly and this event was the main trigger for the American revolution.
- These facts can be best relived by visiting the Boston Tea museum which offers a chance to explore two fully restored tea ships, reenactment with sons & daughters of liberty, realistic holographic re-enactments that transport you to the 18th Century and rare historical artifacts with Robinson Tea Chest
