Boston Tea Party Research Paper

The Boston Tea Party was an important act of civil rebellion in history that provoked Americans around the issue of taxation and helped spark the revolutionary war. The Boston Tea Party had many effects on history not only in America but also throughout the world. It has had both minor and great influences and had many positive consequences for the American colonists. In the following paragraphs the reader will be informed on the events leading up to the Boston Tea Party, the incident itself, and the happenings it triggered.

Before the Boston Tea Party, was the Boston Massacre. The Boston Massacre was the unjustified killing of five American civilians by British authorities in 1770 (Massacre). Some say the colonizers provoked the incident; though, this is not proven. In either case, the incident was purposely propagandized and spread throughout the colonies in a hope to encourage rebellion against Britain and display to all how badly the Americans were being treated. This publicity was successful for the Patriots because it led to the operation of many later events including the Boston Tea Party (Massacre).

The Tea Act was passed by Parliament in 1773 (Tea Act). It was an effort from Britain to economically boost the East India Company, which at the time was struggling to stay in business (Tea Act). The act imposed no new taxes and created a very buyer friendly tea market in America. However, the American colonists believed that the act was a way for Britain to gain popular support for the previously in place taxes. Because of this belief and the fact that the low tea prices would undercut the local market, Americans rebelled and sent most shipments away with the exception of the import to Boston (Tea Act). In Boston the ships were held from leaving and locked in the bay, where colonists ravaged them during The Boston Tea