237 Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, December 16, 1773

 

DECEMBER 16, 1773
The North American Colonies of the United Kingdom by the mid 1760 consumed over 1 Million Pounds of Tea annually, most of which was produced in another British territory, India. The main supplier of Tea to the colonies was the East India Company. But the East India Company was not allowed to sell its tea directly to the Colonies rather it had to sell its tea in London auction houses, before it was shipped to North America, this drove up prices of the imported product in the Colonies. This increase in the cost resulted in a very prolific smuggling market for tea which could be acquired at much lower costs.

This smuggling took a heavy toll on the East India Company in terms of revenue from Tea. By 1772 the East India company owed the British Government of 1 Million Sterling Pounds from loans, yet it still could not turn a profit over the smuggling market and the inflated costs of their own tea having to go through London Auction first.

 

On May 10, 1773, the British parliament authorized the East India Co., to export a half a million pounds of tea directly to the American colonies for the purpose of selling it without imposing upon the company the usual duties and tariffs, also in exchange with the British Government having a controlling interest in the East India Company. With these privileges, the company hoped could undersell American markets that were utilizing smuggled tea and monopolize the colonial tea trade. This agreement was viewed as not only unfair in trade and commerce, but also the British Crown imposing its will on the Colonies which was not seen in good favor at all. This was not the first time direct action in the Colonial markets had occurred by the British Government. For previous years, the 13 colonies saw a numerous commercial tariffs which included the Sugar Act of 1764 taxed sugar, coffee, and wine, the Stamp Act of 1765 taxing on all printed matter and the Townshend Acts of 1767 placing taxes on items like glass, paints, paper, and tea.

The Tea act appeared to be the final straw for the Colonist. During a speech to rally against the act Samuel Adams said the following

• "If our trade be taxed, why not our lands, in short, everything we posses? They tax us without having legal representation."

Late in 1773 three ships departed London for Boston, MA. The names of the vessels were the Dartmouth, the Eleanorand the Beaver, arriving in Boston Harbor between November 28 and December 8 1773. The taxes on the tea were only payable upon the offload of the tea. Colonist such as Sam Adams and John Hancock lobbied to have the ships turned back to England, though the law did not allow them to leave without unloading their cargo. The vessels could only sit in the Harbour for 20 days before Customs would sieze the cargo.  Fearing that the tea would be seized for failure to pay customs duties, and eventually become available for sale, something had to be done. Negotiations fell through.

On December 16, 1773 in a town assembly address, samuel Adams rose and said, ““This meeting can do nothing more to save the country.” A  large group of Colonist, disguised as Indians, burst from the South Meeting House and headed Griffin's Wharf and the three ships. Quickly, quietly, and in an orderly manner, the Sons of Liberty boarded each of the tea ships. Once on board, the patriots went to work opening the chests with axes and hatchets. Thousands of spectators watched in silence, with only the sounds of ax blades splitting wood heard in and around Boston Harbor. Once the crates were open, the patriots dumped the tea into the sea, in a show of protest for the unwanted tax from an unwanted king.

The silence was broken  by the cry of "East Indian" as the Colonists caught CharlesO'Conner filling his coat with tea. George Hewes removed O'Connor's coat, threatened him with death if he revealed the identity of any man present, and sent him out of town. Working hurriedly, with the concern of being an attacked by Admiral Montague at any time, by nine o'clock p.m., the Sons of Liberty had opened and emptied 342 crates of tea into Boston Harbor. To prevent connection to what the British would consider an act of treason, the colonists shook out their shoes overboard, and swept the decks of the vessels clean. They also instructed the mate of each vessel attest that only the Tea was damaged and nothing more.

After the act of protest was complete, Lendall Pitts led the colonists from the wharf, and Boston Harbour, with a fife playing as they marched past the home where British Admiral Montague had been watching what they had done. Montague yelled as they past, "Well boys, you have had a fine, pleasant evening for your Indian caper, haven't you? But mind, you have got to pay the fiddler yet!"

Montague's words were an omen for the Colonists. The party was indeed over for Boston, as the Crown would insist of making them pay for their deed. Acts that would in less than two years lead to the start of the American revolution, once again launched the Boston area in concord and Lexington..

"Once vigorous measures appear to be the only means left to bringing the Americans to a due submission to the mother country, the colonies will submit." -King George III

(Parts of this Article are from Boston tea Party Ships and Museum, http://www.bostonteapartyship.com/)