n 1773, colonists in Boston protested British taxation by boarding ships and dumping tea into the harbor. This act of defiance showed growing resistance to British control.
• 1773 — Tea Act passed
Britain adjusts tea trade policies in the colonies
• Concerns grow among colonists
Opposition to taxation and trade control increases
• December 16, 1773 — Boston Tea Party
Tea is removed from ships and dumped into Boston Harbor
• Response draws attention across the colonies
Tensions between Britain and the colonies increase
The Boston Tea Party marked a shift from protest to direct action. It demonstrated that colonists were willing to openly challenge British authority, increasing tensions between Britain and the colonies.
This act showed that resistance had moved beyond words to decisive action.