Boston Tea Party Research Paper

The Boston Tea Party was an important act of civil rebellion in history that provoked Americans around the issue of taxation and helped spark the revolutionary war. The Boston Tea Party had many effects on history not only in America but also throughout the world. It has had both minor and great influences and had many positive consequences for the American colonists. In the following paragraphs the reader will be informed on the events leading up to the Boston Tea Party, the incident itself, and the happenings it triggered.

Before the Boston Tea Party, was the Boston Massacre. The Boston Massacre was the unjustified killing of five American civilians by British authorities in 1770 (Massacre). Some say the colonizers provoked the incident; though, this is not proven. In either case, the incident was purposely propagandized and spread throughout the colonies in a hope to encourage rebellion against Britain and display to all how badly the Americans were being treated. This publicity was successful for the Patriots because it led to the operation of many later events including the Boston Tea Party (Massacre).

Immediately prior to the Boston Tea Party was the Tea Act.

The Tea Act was passed by Parliament in 1773 (Tea Act). It was an effort from Britain to economically boost the East India Company, which at the time was struggling to stay in business (Tea Act). The act imposed no new taxes and created a very buyer friendly tea market in America. However, the American colonists believed that the act was a way for Britain to gain popular support for the previously in place taxes. Because of this belief and the fact that the low tea prices would undercut the local market, Americans rebelled and sent most shipments away with the exception of the import to Boston (Tea Act). In Boston the ships were held from leaving and locked in the bay, where colonists ravaged them during The Boston Tea

Party.
The Boston Tea Party was an act of rebellion that occurred on December 16th, 1773. Led by Samuel Adams, the Sons of Liberty gathered full of rage. The men boarded three ships in Griffin’s Warf in Boston Massachusetts and pitched 342 chests of tea overboard (Tea Party). No one was killed and only one arrest was made with no confrontation or violence between the Patriots and the Brits (Aftermath of BTP).
This was done in an act of rebellion against the British Empire. The conflict began from a chain of events including heavy taxation on goods imported to the colonies, specifically the Tea Act. The colonists threw the tea into the Boston Harbor in an effort to protest the British Parliament and their unfair taxes without colonial representation (Tea Party).
George Hewes was one of the men who participated in the rebellious event. Disguising as Mohawk natives, rallying at the docks and boarding the ships, he and the other Sons of Liberty disposed of a fortunes worth of British tea into the salty waters. Pertaining to the event he stated, (George Hewes). This illustrates how extensively separate from Britain the colonists were feeling. In particular, the segment where he quotes the chanting, “be true to his country”(George Hewes), shows how they no longer considered themselves to be British. It is in this moment the American Revolution truly began. This was one of the first moments colonists were working in defense of the Colonies of America rather that Britain.
The Boston Tea Party brought many short and long-term outcomes. The more immediate ones included the Coercive Acts and the First Continental Congress. The Coercive Acts took place in 1774 and were an effort from Britain to gain more control and restore order in the American Colonies (Aftermath of BTP). The acts failed and instead brought more radical forms of rebellion from the Americans. This continuous rebellion and mayhem brought the need and creation of the First Continental Congress, which was formed, in an effort to properly represent the colonies of America and resist the Coercive Acts.
The First and Second Congresses achieved many feats. The First Continental Congress lettered to King George III of England, that there were going to be boycotts if treatment of the colonies was not modified (1st Continental Congress). They also made a plan to meet again if the King did not meet their demands, which he did not (1st Continental Congress). The next meeting, The Second Continental Congress, met in 1775 and accomplished much more than the First Continental Congress. These accomplishments included establishing the Continental Army, issuing the declaration of independence in 1776, and signing the Articles of Confederation; creating a real government in America (2nd Continental Congress). The role of the Boston Tea Party was instrumental for the creation of such establishments because it started the concept of open rebellion and independency from Europe.
A Long-term result from the Boston Tea Party was the American Revolution. The incident was in a way the spark that led to a revolution. It was the first majorly public case of open rebellion against the British authorities; it had a major impact (Tea Party)! People all throughout America were able to see that first the British massacred people for no apparent reason, then taxed without representation, and then sternly forced order with the Coercive Acts (Aftermath of BTP). All the Colonials of America saw this treatment towards Boston’s people and saw how they still were able to protest. This created an ample feeling of disloyalty towards Europe and brought about the Continental Congress’ work towards independence from Britain.
The Boston Tea Party incident was more than just a couple settlers throwing tea into the harbor. It was a major act of rebellion that was driven by rage from massacres, from taxation, and a lack of representation in parliament. It brought about radical change throughout the colonies. These changes included the creation of a congress, rebellion towards the British government, and eventually the American Revolution.