The Sons of Liberty were an important organization in the American Revolution. They gradually grew into a large group of people who contributed to many riots and protests against the taxes that the British imposed on America. On December 16, 1773, the Boston Tea Party occurred. This event was an act of protest in which many radical Americans got on board a ship harboring tea and they dumped the tea into Boston Harbor. The Sons of Liberty made history by organizing and executing the Boston Tea Party which was a key event in the American Revolution.
The events that led to the Boston Tea Party took place after Britain won the French and Indian War in 1763. There were many taxes imposed on the colonists in the following years to pay for England's war debt. The Sugar Act was imposed in 1964; it put a tax on sugar, coffee, and wines. This was followed by the Stamp Act of 1965. This Act stated that all legal documents required a purchased stamp on them. The Townshed Acts were also passed in 1965 and they put taxes on everyday goods such as a tax on lead, paper, paint, and tea. This outraged the colonists and caused some to rebel, which later caused the acts to repeal. .
The Tea Act was passed in May of 1773 by the British parliament and Prime Minister North. This Act allowed the British East India Tea Company to sell tea directly to the colonists. This caused the company's tea to be cheaper than that of the merchants selling the smuggled tea. This act renewed the whole issue of taxation without representation. The colonists demanded that the tax on tea be removed by the British government. Also, the people who worked as ship unloaders would not unload ships delivering tea.
On December 13, 1773 Sam Adams and his "committee of correspondence" made plans to destroy the tea if it is not on its way back to England in three days. The following day, a mass meeting was held at the Old South Meeting House to try and force the ships to go back to England.
