The Boston Tea Party P3

Last week I ended talking about the owner of the ship carrying the tea being fearful of his business and his life because of the British threats if he did not unload the tea. The colonists sympathized with his predicament and came up with a solution to deal with the hard-fisted British policy and, at the same time, protect Rotch’s business.

The Americans would board the vessel and throw the tea overboard; the ship could then return to England without the tea. But at the same time, the Americans would remain true to their principles by not accepting the tea. In their eyes, it would be a win-win situation.

To protect those boarding the ship from British reprisals, they disguised themselves as Indians. Early historian Richard Frothingham reported: The party in disguised, whooping like Indians, went on board the vessels; and warning their officers and those of the customhouse to keep out of the way, unlaid the hatches, hoisted the chests of tea on deck, cut them open, and hove (meaning dumped) the tea overboard. They proved quiet and systematic workers. No one interfered with them. No other property was injured; no person was harmed; no tea was allowed to be carried away; and the silence of the crowd on shore was such that the breaking of the chests was distinctly heard by them. “The whole,” (Governor Hutchinson wrote, “was done with very little tumult.”

This event, which occurred on December 16, 1773, became known as the “Boston Tea Party.” Similar but less famous “tea parties” were also held in other cities, including Philadelphia, Charleston, New York and Annapolis.

Content Sourced From The American Story: The Beginnings by David Barton and Tim Barton.