Boston Tea Party: The Revolutionary War in Four Minutes

Happy Boston Tea Party 250! Sarah Kay Bierle of the American Battlefield Trust breaks down one of the most iconic scenes in the American epoch—defiant colonists dumping crates of tea into Boston Harbor during the night of December 16, 1773. A culminating event after a series of protests over various British taxes over previous years.

The Boston Tea Party sparked controversy almost immediately. When the sun rose on December 17 to reveal 342 crates of tea floating in the harbor, the governor condemned it as an act of treason. The Sons of Liberty worked tirelessly to publicize the Tea Party, promoting it as an act of defense against British taxation and a last resort to save colonial rights.

The Boston Tea Party moved the American colonies one step closer to war with Great Britain and eventual independence. #bostonteapartyexplained

The American Battlefield Trust preserves America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educates the public about what happened there and why it matters. We permanently protect these battlefields for future generations as a lasting and tangible memorial to the brave soldiers who fought in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.