December 16, 1773Reputable sourceWell documented
The Boston Tea Party
On the timeline · around December 16, 1773 ·
What happened
To protest a tax on tea and the monopoly granted to the East India Company, on the night of 16 December 1773 colonists — some disguised as Mohawk people — boarded three ships at Boston's Griffin's Wharf and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor.
Why it matters
The defiant destruction of the tea provoked harsh British reprisals and pushed the colonies toward open confrontation.
Sources
- National Park Service. Boston Tea Party at 250 · Reputable source