On the night of December 16, 1773, the Sons of Liberty boarded a ship in Boston Harbor and destroyed the tea – dumping it in the water – as a way to protest the British government’s tax policies.
Supportive crowds stood on water’s edge. British sailors watched from afar, uncertain how to respond.
This act of protest was one of the most important steps towards Independence, demonstrating the resolve of the people to toss off the shackles of burdensome government and a tyrannical king.
