BOSTON TEA PARTY

Turning Point of Resistance

1767 – TOWNSHEND ACT

Act was passed to pay

colonial officials,

soldiers and for

defense of colony.

Charles Townshend –

“Approved of our

taxing the colonies so

as to provide for their

own safety and

preservation.”

Tax was applied to glass,

lead, paper, and tea.

COLONIAL RESPONSEColonists are upset by taxes upon them and respond with anger, taking

action through petitions, boycotts and violence.

VIOLENCE – TAR & FEATHER

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TOWNSHEND ACTS REPEALED

All taxes are repealed

with the exception of the

tax on tea.

Tea tax is kept for two

reasons.

1. Tea tax provides a

lot of money for British

government.

2. Symbolic of

Parliament retaining their

right to tax the colonies.

COLONIAL RESPONSE

Boycott British Tea Drink Smuggled Tea

70% decrease in

tea sales over 3 year

period!

70% Decrease in Tea Sales means less income for British

Government!

TEA ACT (1773)

East India Company = Only supplier of Tea for Colonies. Cost of Tea + Tax is less

than smuggled tea!

Smuggled tea brought into the colonies by local

merchants. Cost is higher than British

Tea with Tax!

Where would your business go?

Who would you support?

What are the consequences of your

decision?

POW!

THE FINAL MOMENTS

Colonist Action

• Ships “Dartmoth, Beaver and Eleanor arrive with British tea.

• Sons of Liberty in Boston refuse to allow tea to be unloaded and tax paid upon it.

Loyalist Action

• Ship Owners go to custom officials and royal governor to request permission to leave harbor and return to England with the tea.

• Both custom officials and royal governor say, “NO”

Crossroads

• Sam Adams, “This meeting can do nothing more to save the country”

• Crowd at Old South Meeting House, “Hurrah for Griffin’s Wharf!” and “Boston Harbor a Teapot Tonight!”

BOSTON TEA PARTY

Dec. 16th, 1773

Members of the Sons of Liberty proceeded from the Old South Meeting House to Griffin’s Wharf, boarded the three ships of tea and emptied 342 chests of tea into the harbor.

The cost of the tea was £9,659 which today would have a value of approximately $1million!