Boston Tea Party, December 16, 1773
To save the financially troubled East India Tea Company, Parliament had passed the Tea Act, which granted the company and its distributors exclusive rights to America. The colonists were furious, even though the tax lowered the price of tea. But by paying that lesser price, they would be accepting Parliament’s right to tax them. As thousands of people watch from the dock, about 116 men, disguised as Indians, board 3 ships, smash all of the 114 chests of tea on each, and empty the cargo into the water. The financial loss is equivalent to more than a million dollars.