Boston Tea Party.

Essay by amybeeHigh School, 12th gradeA, October 2003

download word file, 3 pages 4.3

Throughout the course of history there have been many events leading up to the independence of America. One of the most important and influential events was the Boston Tea Party. Leading to this, angry colonists boarded a ship filled with many chests of tea and threw them overboard. The Boston Tea Party marked the first act of open resistance to British rule (Britannica p1). The Boston Tea Party alone was not the main event that brought America its independence (Stein 13).

George III, King of Britain was responsible for passing taxes on colonists to help make up the loss of money from the French and Indian War (Tea Party 1). The first act was called the Sugar Act, which was a tax to protect and secure the colonists. The second, the Stamp Act put taxes on licenses, newspapers, and businesses papers. However, the colonist rebelled against these acts. Next Parliament passed taxes on lead, paint, paper, and tea which were known as the Townsend Act.

That act outraged the colonists. Meetings were held in forming the colonist not to purchase any English imported goods. The colonists remained upset with Parliament because they had no representation. Parliament eventually eliminated all taxes expect for tea (Britannica 2).

The colonists organized boycotts renouncing tea. Many replaced tea with coffee or continued to brew their original teas from Dutch Merchants. "In May of 1773 Parliament concocted a clever plan. They gave the struggling East India Company a monopoly on the importation of tea to America. Additionally, Parliament reduced the duty the colonies would have to pay for the imported tea. The American's would now get their tea at a cheaper price than ever before. However, if the colonies paid the duty

1

tax on the imported tea they would be acknowledging Parliament's right...