The Boston Tea Party was a political revolt with Boston, the capital of the Colonie of bay of Massachusetts, against the British Parliament in 1773.

Historical context

Since the promulgation of the Stamp Act in 1765, and the Townshend Acts of 1767 Great Britain could tax its thirteen American colonies. This decision was very badly perceived by the inhabitants of the colonies because they were not represented with the Parliament of Westminster and intended to make respect the principle according to which a territory not represented could not be taxed ( No taxation without representation ).

One of the protesters was John Hancock and in 1768, its small corvette, Liberty , was seized and he was shown of smuggling. It was then defended by John Adams (which will become later president of the the United States) and the lawsuit was classified without continuation.

The British kingdom was then confronted with heavy problems financing and the king George III decided to strongly increase the commercial taxes against the colonies. The The being one of the products whose tax was most exorbitant had become a point of discord very symbolic system between the metropolis and its colonies. Hancock organized a boycott of the the of China sold by the English Compagnie of the Eastern Indies whose sales in the colonies passed from: 145000 kg (: 320000 books) to 240 kg (520 pounds). One can note the importance of the role of the American women in this action which was one of the first where they could have a political influence collectively.

Starting from 1773, the Company had important debts and enormous stocks of the but few possibilities of running out them because of the smuggling which escaped the taxes. The British government then made pass the Tea Act which authorized the Company to sell with the colonies without paying the taxes, this measurement enabling him to sell its less expensive than the other importers and than the smugglers.

The boats transporting of the were refused in the majority of the American ports, but the Company of the Eastern Indies tried to unload with the support of the governor and the army.

Event

The December 16th 1773, sixty Bostonians named the Wire of freedom climbed aboard three ship (the Dartmouth , the Eleanor and the Beaver ) dressed up as Amerindian of the tribe of the Mohawk S. Silencieusement, they opened the barrels and threw 342 cases over edge, then they closed again them to give them to their place, empty.

Nothing stolen or was intentionally destroyed, put aside the 45 tons (: 90000 pounds) of the, a value of: 10000 £ .

Reactions

It caused many reactions on behalf of personalities of metropolis and the colonies. For example, Benjamin Franklin maintains that the destroyed the was to be refunded and proposed to do it with its own money. The British government retorted by closing the wearing of Boston.

Boston Tea Party was one of the events leading to the Guerre of American independence. The Company solved its financial problems caused by the by selling Opium produces in India with the China what involved the First war of opium.

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