Boston Tea Party

Carrie Miller

Iberville Press New Orleans

Table of Contents

Chapter page

1. America, a colony 4

2. British Tax 10

3. Adam’s Family 16

4. Son’s of Liberty 22

5. East India Company 28

6. Old South Meetinghouse 32

7. Tea Party 38

8. Taxation without Representation 41

9. Glossary 47

10. Internet Sites 48

11. Read More 49

12. Index 50

IndexActs George III King of

Intolerable Acts 42 England 5,9,24

Tea Acts 29,31

Townshend Acts Hancock, John , 24

24,39, Hutchinson,

Thomas 10,29,31

Adams, Abigail

Adams, John Patriots, 18,21,39

Adams, Samuel Revere, Paul, 38, 45

Boston Harbor 38,42 Sons of Liberty 22-27

Boycott 38,38

British East India Taxes 23, 31,33

Company 28-31 Tea 10,12-15

Colonies, 4, 9,12

First Continental Congress, 41-46

• GlossaryBoycott – to refuse to buy certain goods as a means of

protest

Colony

Harbor – a place where ships anchor and unload

their cargo

Intolerable – unbearable

Patriot - an American colonist who disagreed with British rule of the colonies

Rebellion - a struggle against the people in charge

Taxation – a requirement that people and businesses

pay money to support a goverment

BibliograhpyFowler, Williams M,, Samuel Adams: Radical Puritan.

New York: Longman, 1997.

Greene, Jack P. Understanding the American Revolution: Issues and Actors. Charlottesville: The University Press of Virginia, 1995.

Langguth, A.J. Patriots. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988.

Maier, Pauline. From Resistance to Revolution: Colonial Radicals and the Development of American Opposition to Britain, 1765-1776. New York: Alfred A Knopt, 1972

• "It was now evening, and I immediately dressed myself in the costume of an Indian, equipped with a small hatchet, which I and my associates denominated the tomahawk, with which, and a club, after having painted my face and hands with coal dust in the shop of a blacksmith, I repaired to Griffin's wharf, where the ships lay that contained the tea. When I first appeared in the street after being thus disguised, I fell in with many who were dressed, equipped and painted as I was, and who fell in with me and marched in order to the place of our destination.

• When we arrived at the wharf, there were three of our number who assumed an authority to direct our operations, to which we readily submitted. They divided us into three parties, for the purpose of boarding the three ships which contained the tea at the same time. The name of him who commanded the division to which I was assigned was Leonard Pitt. The names of the other commanders I never knew. We were immediately ordered by the respective commanders to board all the ships at the same time, which we promptly obeyed. The commander of the division to which I belonged, as soon as we were on board the ship, appointed me boatswain, and ordered me to go to the captain and demand of him the keys to the hatches and a dozen candles. I made the demand accordingly, and the captain promptly replied, and delivered the articles; but requested me at the same time to do no damage to the ship or rigging. We then were ordered by our commander to open the hatches and take out all the chests of tea and throw them overboard, and we immediately proceeded to execute his orders, first cutting and splitting the chests with our tomahawks, so as thoroughly to expose them to the effects of the water.

• In about three hours from the time we went on board, we had thus broken and thrown overboard every tea chest to be found in the ship, while those in the other ships were disposing of the tea in the same way, at the same time. We were surrounded by British armed ships, but no attempt was made to resist us.

George Hewes was a member of the band of "Indians" that boarded the tea ships that evening. His recollection of the event was published some years later. We join his story as the group makes its way to the tea-laden ships:

• Boston Tea Party was a raid by American colonists on three ships in Boston Harbor on Dec. 16, 1773. Colonists disguised as Indians emptied 342 chests of tea into the harbor to avoid payment of a British tax on tea. The British response helped unify the colonists and brought the colonists closer to movement for American independence.In 1767, the British Parliament had placed duties (import taxes) on several items imported into America.

• Many colonists considered such taxes to be illegal and were determined not to pay them. In 1770, the British government repealed all the duties except for one on imported tea. In 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act to help get the East India Company, a British trading company, out of financial trouble. This act enabled the company to sell tea in America at a low price. But the tea was still subject to the duty established in 1767. Soon the tea was shipped to America for distribution to agents of the East India Company, who were given a monopoly on its sale. Colonists feared the tea monopoly would put some of their patriotic local merchants out of business. In addition, the colonists thought that if they paid the duty on tea, the British would impose other taxes on them

• .After the tea ships arrived in Boston Harbor, the colonists tried to get them sent back to England. Those efforts were rejected by Governor Thomas Hutchinson, leading to the Boston Tea Party. At a signal perhaps given by resistance leader Samuel Adams, an unknown number of men, possibly 100 or more, boarded the ships and dumped the tea overboard. The British government reacted in 1774 by passing several harsh measures that became known as the Intolerable Acts. These acts united the opposition to British rule and led to the First Continental Congress, a gathering of representatives from 12 of the American Colonies.______________Contributor: • Pauline Maier, Ph.D., William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of History, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

How to cite this article: To cite this article, World Book recommends the following format:

Maier, Pauline. "Boston Tea Party." World Book Online Reference Center. 2007. [Place of access. Date of access.] <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar071320>.

Event – Boston Tea Party

• On Thursday, December 16, 1773 the evening before the tea was supposed to be landing, the Sons of Liberty meet In the Old South Meeting House.

• There were three groups of 50 Boston residents each organized by Samuel Adams

• .• They left the Old South Meeting House and

headed toward Griffin's Wharf, dressed as Mohawks in hopes to disguise their true identities to avoid reprimand and punishment.

• Three ships — the Darmouth, the Eleanor and the Beaver — were loaded with hundreds of crates of tea. (A fourth ship, the William, sank off the coast of Cape Cod before arriving to Boston Harbor).

• The men boarded the ships and began destroying the cargo. By 9 p.m., they had opened 342 crates of tea (worth approximately £10,000) in all three ships and had thrown them into Boston Harbor.

• Reaction to the Tea Party

• This act brought criticism from both colonial and British officials.

• Benjamin Franklin offered to repay the cost of the tea with his own money.

• The British government reacted by closing the port of Boston.

• Passed the Intolerable Acts

• The Boston Tea Party eventually proved to be one of the many causes that led to the American Revolution.

• Rallied support from other colonies against the British.

• People in the Colonies boycotted tea in response to the Boston Tea Party.

Boston Tea Party I1. On what chapter would you find if Samuel Adams

had children?

2 On what page would you find information about the Townshend Acts?

3 How long did it take to dump the tea in the harbor?

4. How many chests did the Sons of Liberty dump in the harbor?

5. Who wrote the World Book articile?

6. Who was George Hewes’ comander the night of the Boston Tea Party?

7. What page would you find information about theBritish East India Company?

8. What do you think “Taxation without Representation” means?

Boston Tea Party I1. On what chapter would you find if Samuel Adams

had children?

2 On what page would you find information about the Townshend Acts?

3 How long did it take to dump the tea in the harbor?

4. How many chests did the Sons of Liberty dump in the harbor?

5. Who wrote the World Book articile?

6. Who was George Hewes’ comander the night of the Boston Tea Party?

7. What page would you find information about theBritish East India Company?

8. What do you think “Taxation without Representation” means?

Boston Tea Party II

1. What page does Chapter 4 begin on?_____

2. What page does Chapter 4 end on?____

3. Why do you think the Sons of Liberty dressed as Indians?

4. What is the name of the publishing company? _________________

5. What were the names of ships the tea was dumped from?

6. What was the Boston Tea Party?

__________________________________________________________________

7. What does intolerable mean?___________________________

8. Why did the British impose taxes on the colonies?

Boston Tea Party II

1. What page does Chapter 4 begin on?_____2. What page does Chapter 4 end on?____

3. Why do you think the Sons of Liberty dressed as Indians?

4.What is the name of the publishing company? _________________

5.What were the names of ships the tea was dumped from?

6.What was the Boston Tea Party?_____________________________________

_____________________________

7. What does intolerable mean?___________________________

8.Why did the British impose taxes on the colonies?

• Boston Tea Party III

• 1. What page does Chapter 48 begin on?_____ end on?_________

• 2. What is a Patriot? Do we have any Patriots in the U.S. today?

• 3. What was George Hewes job after he boarded the ship?

• 4. What page would you find information about George III?

• 5.What year was the Tea Act passed?

• 6. Where did the Sons of Liberty meet before they left to dump the tea?

• 7. List two reactions to the Tea Party?

• 8. Who published the Boston Tea Party?

• Boston Tea Party III

• 1. What page does Chapter 48 begin on?_____ end on?_________

• 2. What is a Patriot? Do we have any Patriots in the U.S. today?

• 3. What was George Hewes job after he boarded the ship?

• 4. What page would you find information about George III?

• 5.What year was the Tea Act passed?

• 6. Where did the Sons of Liberty meet before they left to dump the tea?

• 7. List two reactions to the Tea Party?

• 8. Who published the Boston Tea Party?