What was the significance of the Boston Tea Party?

Answer 1

The Boston Tea Party is often misunderstood. It was NOT itself "the" protest -- not what the colonists had actually planned to do, but an ad hoc step when circumstances forced a sudden change in their strategy (as I'll explain in a moment). It WAS important as part of a boycott, but MORE important for the British response and where that led (see #2), ultimately to WAR.

1) It is first of all important as part of a unified colonial response. In fact, what was happening was a BOYCOTT throughout ALL the colonies, refusing to accept shipments of tea in ANY of their ports. The other ports were more successful, mostly forcing ships to sail back with their cargo, but Boston's royal governor had the harbor blocked so that the ships COULD NOT sail out.

Explanation on the tea boycott --
The tea shipments were sent to help out the struggling East India Company, by allowing them to sell the tea cheaply and so to secure a monopoly in the colonies. Colonial merchants were afraid England would follow by forcing monopolies on all sorts of things, driving them out of business.

But MORE critical was the decision to require the payment of the DUTY on tea. The tea would STILL be the cheapest, but by paying the duty the colonies would be acknowledging Parliament's authority to require such taxes. So, in the biggest, most successful boycott since the Stamp Act, the colonies united in REFUSING the tea-and-duty.

Problem in BOSTON was this -- a quirk in the law REQUIRED payment of the tax after 20 days of sitting in the harbor (the tea could be confiscated and sold to pay the duties). Midnight December 16, 1773 was the deadline... so rather than allow that (with its acknowledgment of the right to tax) the colonists dumped the tea (though careful to destroy NOTHING else).


2) But the Tea Party was MORE important for its RESULTS, that is, the British response, and the effect that had on the colonists, all of which propelled the two toward war

a) The British RESPONSE -- a series of British laws (most grouped as the "Coercive Acts", colonists called them the "Intolerable Acts") from closing the port of Boston (with all the economic hardship that created), to taking much of the colonial government out of the hands of the colonists (including the local legislature's power of the purse over the royal governor, and their right to LOCAL trials).

Note that these British steps were listed prominently in the "grievances" section of the U.S. Declaration of Independence (and the declarations of various colonies/states as well)

b) The colonists counter -- all this began to galvanize not only Massachusetts but other colonies.. leading to the First Continental Congress and to local (defensive) preparations for war.

In fact, the war came when the British decided to seize the colonists' gunpowder, which they were stockpiling to prepare to defend themselves. (This, combined with an attempt to seize 'revolutionary' leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock, was what the march on Lexington and Concord was all about.)

Note how important the large military presence in Boston -- an outcome of the Tea Party-- set this all up. They were viewed as an 'occupying' army (to enforce the Intolerable Acts), so the city was very tense... a tinderbox.


For a more detailed account, see the three-page article beginning here:
http://www.boston-tea-party.org/economic-causes.html
and Thomas Fleming, *Liberty*, pp. 75-9.

Whole story of the Tea Party itself, and its aftermath -
http://www.boston-tea-party.org/in-depth.html

Answer 2

Boston Tea Party Significance

Answer 3

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RE:
What was the significance of the Boston Tea Party?

Answer 4

Who said anything about throwing tea into the water? Obviously, you missed the memo. And , if you understood the historical significance of the first Tea Party a little better, you would then understand the historical significance of this one a little better. It's about a grip of pissed off people from all parties, all walks of life, and all races, coming together to get the governments attention. Taxes are only a small part of the gripe. A little research, and you could have saved 5 points.

Answer 5

significance boston tea party

Answer 6

so the only way to not pay tax on tea was to dump the tea out in the boston harbor so now no tax on tea because there is no more tea hope you enjoyed and helped for what ever your doing

Answer 7

Taxation with out representation. Boston as well as many other places were very unhappy that they had to pay taxes on all of the things being brought in, but had no control over how things were being run and how the money was spent. They dumped the shipment into the harbor (mostly tea)

Answer 8

The colonist spoke out to the soon to be united states of America, saying that the British should not tax the “Americans” because they came here for freedom from that. Some of the colonist dumped all the imported tea that was on the British ships in to they bay. This got their thoughts out in a way that every one would hear about. After this happened it made the colonist understand that they should stand up to the British for the “Americans” freedoms and their rights. All of the colonist where important with the Boston tea party, because it effected them in one-way or another.

Answer 9

The socialization and entertainment of the british troops to hold a massive sweet 16 for king george. (red bull) wasnt invented yet so they go their grove on with tea.

Answer 10

to show the english that even though we loved tea we would go without it due to the over priced taxes.

Answer 11

So they wont have to pay taxes. It was kinda like a boycot. They dumped alot of tea into an ocean.