The Boston Tea Party of 16 December 1773.
Historical background
The Tea Act let the East India Company sell tea directly in the colonies while retaining the existing tax. In Boston, opponents blocked the unloading of tea ships, and the governor refused to let them leave without clearing customs.
On 16 December protesters boarded the ships at Griffin’s Wharf and dumped the cargo into the harbour. Parliament’s punitive response helped bring the colonies together against British policy.
