Two hundred and fifty years ago this month, the arrival of three ships in Boston Harbor carrying 342 chests of tea sparked a tense standoff between Thomas Hutchinson, the governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and a clandestine political organization known as the Sons of Liberty. This group of dedicated patriots, whose members included Samuel Adams, John Hancock, John Adams, Paul Revere, Joseph Warren, Benjamin Church, Josiah Quincy, and James Otis Jr., demanded the immediate departure of the three ships and the return of their entire tea cargo to England. In contrast, Hutchinson ordered the unloading of every chest of tea and required the payment of all import duties before any ship could depart.
When neither side yielded, and an amicable resolution seemed impossible, the Sons of Liberty executed a bold act of resistance that resulted in the destruction of the tea, sending shockwaves across two continents. Initially intended as a political and economic protest, the Boston Tea Party unexpectedly ignited a firestorm, prompting punitive actions, fostering bitter resentment, and hastening the inevitable conflict between the crown and the colonies. This escalating tension ultimately culminated in the Revolutionary War and the declaration of American Independence.
Prelude to a Tea Party
All this would have appeared unimaginable just 10 years before, at the conclusion of the war with France and Spain, when Great Britain and her American colonies celebrated as a united people. However, as the guns fell silent, the financial obligations became apparent. Britain’s treasury was depleted, and attention turned to the colonies to assist in recovering the costs. While the colonies had their own taxing authorities through their legislatures, Britain’s Parliament asserted its authority to impose taxes on them and insisted on enforcing them. Boycotts against English goods were organized, leading to a deterioration in relations between the two sides.On May 10, 1773, Parliament enacted the Tea Act to rescue the British East India Company from bankruptcy. This law exempted the company from import duties on tea intended for sale in British America after being brought to England. Furthermore, the act gave the company the authority to choose the colonial merchants to whom it could consign the tea. With the East India Company holding a monopoly, only those licensed by them were permitted to sell tea in the colonies. In Boston, licenses to sell the tea were granted to five individuals, including two of Governor Hutchinson’s sons and his son-in-law.
You Will Drink This Tea—and You Will Pay the Tax
In August 1773, word reached Boston that several ships carrying tea were on their way from London. Meetings were held at Faneuil Hall, and during one such gathering, it was declared that upon the ships’ arrival in Boston, there would be a prohibition on unloading the tea. Anyone involved in such an attempt was to be considered “an enemy to America.”Hancock and Samuel Adams assembled a substantial crowd beneath the famed Liberty Tree and demanded that the five East India agents appear and resign their commissions. Despite the threats, the agents refused to comply with their requests. As a result, when Hutchinson and Sheriff Stephen Greenleaf could not ensure their safety, the agents fled to Castle William.
The first tea ship to arrive, the Dartmouth, docked at Griffin’s Wharf on Sunday, Nov. 28, 1773. Notices circulated throughout the city regarding a 9:00 a.m. meeting the following morning at Faneuil Hall. As the crowd exceeded the venue’s capacity, they marched through the city towards the more spacious Old South Meeting House, drawing the attention of anxious government officials huddled in the nearby Town House.
Upon reaching the Old South, the assembled crowd of 6,000 demanded that the entire shipment of tea be returned to England. A committee of 25 was appointed to oversee the Dartmouth and ensure that the stored tea remained on board the ship.
Over the next few weeks, two additional ships, the Eleanor and the Beaver, arrived. Tea ships reached other colonial port cities. In New York City and Philadelphia, the vessels were refused permission to unload their tea and were compelled to depart with their cargo. In Charles Town, South Carolina (modern-day Charleston), the tea was unloaded but left to decay in a warehouse, and the taxes were never paid.
Determined not to have his authority challenged, Hutchinson instructed Adm. John Montagu to position the British Navy within Boston Harbor, preventing any ships from leaving. He also invoked a law mandating import taxes to be paid within 20 days of a ship’s arrival, with noncompliance resulting in the seizure of the ships and their cargo by local authorities. The deadline for the Dartmouth was Dec. 17. Hutchinson simply had to deny clearance for any ships wishing to depart and let the deadline pass.
The Sons of Liberty were aware of Hutchinson’s plan and held discussions with Dartmouth shipowner Francis Rotch, who expressed indignation with Hutchinson’s refusal to issue him a pass. Despite several meetings between the parties, the deadlock could not be resolved. Hutchinson, who strongly detested the Sons of Liberty, had no intention of yielding.
We Will Not Comply!
On Dec. 16, the day before the deadline, Samuel Adams instructed Rotch to make one last appeal to Hutchinson and then report back to him that evening at the Old South Meeting House. Rotch met with the governor and pleaded for a pass, emphasizing that without it, he would either incur the people’s wrath for unloading his ship or see his ship seized, leading to financial ruin. Any attempt to escape was deemed impossible, as his ship would be captured or destroyed by the navy. Hutchinson proposed towing the Dartmouth to Castle William where the tea could be stored, but Rotch’s request for a pass was officially denied.Thousands filled the Old South at 6:00 p.m., with thousands more standing outside as the skies darkened, and candles were lit. The restless crowd listened to speeches from Samuel Adams, John Rowe, and Josiah Quincy when Rotch arrived. He addressed the crowd, informing them that the governor had refused to issue him a pass.
The crowd erupted in anger but was ordered to quiet down. After facing a few more questions, Rotch reluctantly informed the crowd that he would unload the tea because seizure of his ship would result in his financial ruin.
Samuel Adams then stood up and declared, “This meeting can do nothing more to save the country!”
Though the noise inside was deafening, historians believe that Adams’s statement was a signal. At that very moment, a war whoop resounded as dozens of men stormed into the Old South dressed as Mohawk Indians. The entire neighborhood shook as the crowd erupted in cheers, shouting, “Hurrah for Griffin’s Wharf! Boston Harbor a teapot tonight!” The jubilation echoed throughout the city.
With the meeting adjourned, the crowd poured out of Old South as thousands marched down Milk Street towards Griffin’s Wharf. Additional thousands joined those already in attendance to witness history in the making. Estimates of those dressed as Mohawks range from the documented number of 116 to just above 150. Fearing arrest if recognized, the men darkened their faces and carried hatchets or tomahawks. A few covered themselves in blankets. British sailors aboard the nearby warships witnessed the entire affair but took no action to stop it.
What Set the Boston Tea Party Apart
In a strange twist, the Boston Tea Party was not the primary catalyst for the severing of relations between Britain and her American colonies. Defiance against royal authority had persisted since the conclusion of the French and Indian War in 1763. Parliament’s enactment of the Stamp Act, the Declaratory Act, and the Townshend Acts led to numerous clashes: the Liberty Affair, the Battle of Golden Hill, the Boston Massacre, the Battle of Alamance, the Pine Tree Riot, and the Gaspee Affair. Property was destroyed, lives were threatened, and blood was shed. However, after each incident, cooler heads prevailed, issues were addressed, and life returned to normal.
The decisive factor that set this event apart from all others, and determined the fate of both parties, was Britain’s excessively harsh response to the civil disobedience that took place in Boston Harbor, 250 years ago. The crown labeled the penalties coercive, while we colonials denounced them intolerable.
