Britain’s consolidation of the lands on which the colonies now resided did not come easily – or cheaply. To make up the costs of the Seven Year War, the British Parliament attempted a series of tax measures, each more unpopular than the next. The colonists, who had no voice in the Parliamentary debates, protested with the rallying cry “no taxation without representation.” In lieu of a direct tax, Parliament came up with the idea of lowering the import taxes on an American staple – tea. The British East India company was given a monopoly on imports, so if the Americans would not buy it – even at the new lower costs – they could not have it all. And if the Americans would buy the tea, they would symbolically acknowledge Parliament’s right to tax them.

On this day, December 16, in 1773, a group of Boston protesters gave their response to the Tea, storming several of the East India Company’s tea-laden ships and throwing their cargo into the Boston Harbor.

George Hewes, a member of the raiding party recorded the events of the evening raid: after boarding the ship, he went to the captain for keys to the cargo hold. The captain complied, asking only they not damage the ship. “In about three hours from the time we went on board, we had thus broken and thrown overboard every tea chest to be found in the ship, while those in the other ships were disposing of the tea in the same way, at the same time. We were surrounded by British armed ships, but no attempt was made to resist us.”