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What was the Boston Tea Party?

The Boston Tea Party was a protest by American colonists against the British government, that took place in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1773. The British Parliament (main governing body of Britain and the American colonies) had repealed (ended) several tax laws in the colonies, called the Townshend Acts, but had retained the tax on tea. This was a way of demonstrating British power as well as protecting the financial interests of the British-owned East India Company (a trading firm that sold tea in America), which was losing money. This unpopular act allowed the company to "dump" tea on the American colonies at a low price and then charge a high tax. Fearful that the act would put local merchants out of business, the colonists organized a protest, which was reportedly led by Boston resident Samuel Adams (1722–1803). On the night of December 16, 1773, when Adams gave a signal, more than one...

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