Two Boston Tea Parties
On December 16, 1773 a group of Boston patriots boarded three English Ships, the Bedford, Beaver and Dartmouth, and threw the tea aboard into Boston Harbour. These patriots were disguised as Mohawk Indians and, in order to gain access to the ships, armed themselves with hatchets and axes.
In protest against the duty imposed on tea by the Government of King George III, they split open every chest and dumped each into the water.
When the first Boston Tea Party was over, three hundred forty-two chests of tea were left floating in the frigid harbor waters. In the months that followed this historic event, many other American seaports took similar action in boycotting British tea.
On March 7, 1774, at a second Boston Tea Party, 16 chests of tea from British tea merchant Davison, Newman & Co. were among those once again thrown into Boston Harbor. This was another symbolic prelude to the American War of Independence.
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