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HISTORIC ARTICLE

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HISTORIC ARTICLE

Dec 16, 1773 CE: Boston Tea Party

Dec 16, 1773 CE: Boston Tea Party

On December 16, 1773, a group of American colonists calling themselves the “Sons of Liberty” boarded three merchant ships in Boston Harbor and poured all their cargo—342 chests of tea—into the water, an event now referred to as the Boston Tea Party.

Grades

6 - 12

Subjects

Social Studies, Civics, U.S. History, World History

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On December 16, 1773, a group of American colonists calling themselves the “Sons of Liberty” boarded three merchant ships in Boston Harbor and poured all their cargo—342 chests of tea—into the water, an event now referred to as the Boston Tea Party. The event protested tea imports, which colonists had boycotted due to “taxation without representation.”

The British government responded to the Boston Tea Party with a series of laws, called the Intolerable Acts by colonists. These acts closed Boston Harbor, ended self-governance and some judicial oversight in Massachusetts, and strengthened laws requiring colonists to support British troops in America.

Many veterans of the Boston Tea Party went on to lead the American Revolution, including Paul Revere, John Hancock, Sam Adams, Patrick Henry—and Benedict Arnold.

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Editor
National Geographic Society
Producer
Mary Crooks, National Geographic Society
other
Last Updated

May 17, 2022

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