On December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty protested against the British Parliament by throwing an East India Company tea shipment into Boston Harbor. But why were they actually protesting? Contrary to popular belief, the British government did not raise the tax on tea before the Boston Tea Party.
This historic act of defiance by a group of American colonists was actually due to a cut in taxes. The East India Company, which held a monopoly on the tea trade, was struggling financially. To help the company, the British Parliament reduced the taxes levied on shipments to the American colonies. The Sons of Liberty were opposed to being taxed or ruled by Parliament without any colonial representation.
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