The Tea Acts
1773
The Act Summarized
- Act of the Parliament of Great Britain
- Reduce the surplus of tea from the financially troubled British East India Company
- Cut the cost of illegal tea smuggled into the colonies
- Granted the company the right to ship its tea to the colonies duty-free
Colonial Response
- Merchants, Smugglers, Artisans opposed the delivery and distribution of the tea
- In many colonies successful efforts were made to prevent the tea from being delivered
- Boston, Dec. 16th, 1773 colonists (some disguised) boarded ships in the harbor and dumped their tea overboard