In History What Was The Boston Tea Party What Happen And Why

The British East India Company had put up the cost of their tea to accomdate a raise in taxes levied by the crown. The result was the evolution of a thriving black market in tea in the colonies. Enterprising Americans began importing contraband tea from the Netherlands and selling it well below the price of British tea. Supposedly, some of America's most revered patriots were involved in this illicit but profitable trade. As more and more Americans refused to drink British tea, the East India company faced a financial crisis. It became so over-stocked with unsold tea, there was a seven-year supply sitting in warehouses in england. To unload some of that stock and eliminate competition in the colonies, it was decided the company would slash its prices below black market costs. But when shiploads of cheap British tea arrived inthe colonies, Americans reacted in an unexpected way. Instead of being pleased, they were angry. colonial tea-drinkers felt they were being manipulated by the British; but little did they realize, they were also being manipulated by the black marketeers, who organized a series of "spontaneous" tea parties. Although the British managed to unload tea at some ports, three ships laden with tea remained at anchor in Boston Harbour, threatened with sabotage if crews tried to bring their cargoes ashore. A group of colonial leaders, led by Samuel Adams, urged Governor thomas Hutchinson of Massachussetts to avoid conflict by prhoibiting the Britsh from unloading the tea. Hutchinson refused, and on December 16, 1773, the day before the tea was due to come ashore, Adams staged an anti-tea rally. A crowd of 8,000 showed up, which was remarkable considering that was about half the population of Britain. It was around 4 o'clock that same afternoon when another crowd gathered at the home of Boston businessman Benjamin Edes. The meeting was organized by the local committe of Correspondence, and present were some fifty carefully chosen men in addition to several leaders of the organization. They were there to lead an assault on the british ships. To fortify their resolve, Edes placed a massive punch bowl on a table and filled it with a potent concoction. His son, Peter, was given the job of keeping the bowl filled. Years later, Peter Edes would write that the consumption rate that day was such that he was hard-pressed to fulfill his duty. By 6pm, Samuel Adams had rallied a huge crowd at the docks at Griffin's Wharfs. Also at the docks, not knowing what to expect, were nervous British officials and representatives of the East India company. As darkness descended on the waterfront, the men from the Edes party arrived, some dressed as Indians, some visibly staggering, and all in a festive mood. Joining them at the docsk were members of other patriotic organizations. To the cheers of the crowd and the horror of th ehelpless British onlookers, the raiders boarded the tea ships. It required three hours fo rthe intruders to dump the cargoes overboard. The task might have been competed sooner, but a substantial number of the dumpers b ecame violently ill and had to retire from the proceedings. Back in england, the government officials were outraged nd reacted by passing an act to close boston harbor. They vowed to keep it closed and limit self-rule in Massachusetts until the colonists paid for the tea they had destroyed. to enforce the act, additional troops were assinged to Boston. Rather than suppress the colonial rebellion, the British reaction served only to intensify it and shove the Colonials and their mother country toward an inevitable armed conflict.