The Boston Tea Party

Introduction

In April 1770, Parliament rescinded the Townshend duties on four of the five commodities that had been taxed; the duty on tea remained in force. 愤怒的爱国者试图通过呼吁商人(不进口)和公民(不消费)来支持日渐衰落的抵制茶的努力。. 但是人们喜欢喝茶，于是他们的决心减弱了.

1773年春天，东印度公司手头上有大量多余的茶叶. To aid the failing company, thwart the smuggling of Dutch tea, 并重申其对殖民地征税的权力, 1773年5月10日，议会批准了《og体育官网》. Tea sold in America would carry no duty for the East India Company; instead, 这些茶叶将在殖民地港口入境时被征税. Consignees, or special agents, were appointed in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, 去查尔斯顿接收和销售茶叶.

In the fall of 1773, 报纸公布了东印度公司计划的细节, colonists learn that the tea is coming. Protests soon circulate. 在费城，“斯卡沃拉”斥责茶叶代理人，骂他们 political bombadiers. 波士顿的茶叶代理商拒绝了要求他们辞职的传票，他们反驳说他们是 the true sons of liberty. 表明其明确的分歧, 11月3日，一群爱国暴徒袭击了理查德·克拉克在国王街的商店.

波士顿的收货人请求总督在茶叶到达后予以保护, 但由于波士顿大屠杀的不幸事件，英国军队被限制在威廉城堡, Hutchinson is powerless to oblige. The streets belong to the opposition.

On Sunday, 28 November, the Dartmouth载着114箱茶叶抵达波士顿港. A meeting, 向所有波士顿人和任何来自邻近城镇的人开放，他们选择参加(一个被称为“身体”的团体), is called at Faneuil Hall. 当人群聚集起来时，就到Old South Meeting House去. The Body speaks, demanding that the tea be returned, 议会任命了25人看守格里芬码头.

From Philadelphia and New York, 消息传来，任何想把茶叶运到这些港口的人都应该 beware an unwelcome visit. 截至12月2日，三个港口城镇的收货人已经辞职，嘲讽声四起: Will you shrink at Boston?

By 15 December, the Eleanor and the Beaver两艘船都载满了茶，来到了格里芬码头. 法律规定得很清楚:如果有责任就 Dartmouth如果贵方在12月17日前未支付茶叶货款，海关官员有权扣押该船及其货物. 总督、船主和茶叶收货人都拒绝将茶叶运回英国. 12月16日在Old South举行的会议上的表决, 该机构决心阻止东印度茶叶登陆, stored, sold, or consumed. At the conclusion of the meeting, 人群涌到街上, 追着三六十个打扮成印第安人的人一直追到格里芬码头. In what John Adams calls 勇敢地“运用民众的力量”， the men proceed to dump 342 chests of tea into the sea.

哈钦森州长被激怒了，称倾销茶叶是叛国. 在胜利的鼓舞下，热情的爱国者敦促波士顿人， "keep up your courage." 当事件的消息传到那里， New York celebrates Boston's Indians, as does Philadelphia. 波士顿一度被怀疑，现在却因坚决反对英国的暴虐政策而受到赞扬.

然而，并不是所有人都为“毁茶事件”(后来被称为波士顿倾茶事件)喝彩。. 一月底，马什菲尔德镇敦促 good and loyal subjects to speak up against the Bostonians' unlawful act. Still, in March, Indians are found destroying the tea—again. 今年4月，另一起事件引发了人们的质疑，即肇事者是否真的是 good Indians or bad Indians.

In February, the tea ship captains arrive in England and are summoned to testify before the Privy Council; since they are not able to identify individuals responsible for the destruction of the tea, 政府决定惩罚整个波士顿镇. 在东印度公司的损失得到补偿之前，波士顿港将被关闭.