Tea Problems 1773 the British East India Co, with a surplus of 17 million lbs of unsold tea was facing bankruptcy If it collapsed, London would lose heavy tax revenue The English govt in response, awarded the company a complete monopoly of the American tea market The company sold the tea at a very cheap price (low cost) to sell the large quantity (with a 3 –pence tax on it) American tea drinkers instead of rejoicing in the low price, saw it as away to trick the Americans into paying the tax The East India Cos, cargo never reaches any consumers, Protests in Philadelphia and in New York forced tea-bearing ships to return to England with their cargo Marylanders burned cargo and vessel, while proclaiming Liberty and Independence or death in pursuit of it the British East India Co, with a surplus of 17 million lbs of unsold tea was facing bankruptcy If it collapsed, London would lose heavy tax revenue The English govt in response, awarded the company a complete monopoly of the American tea market The company sold the tea at a very cheap price (low cost) to sell the large quantity (with a 3 –pence tax on it) American tea drinkers instead of rejoicing in the low price, saw it as away to trick the Americans into paying the tax The East India Cos, cargo never reaches any consumers, Protests in Philadelphia and in New York forced tea-bearing ships to return to England with their cargo Marylanders burned cargo and vessel, while proclaiming Liberty and Independence or death in pursuit of it.

Tea Party In Boston British officials refused to back down Hutchinson (Mass, Gov) infuriated Bostons radicals when he ordered the tea ships nor to clear Bostons harbor until they unloaded their cargo. On Dec 17, 1773, around 100 Bostonians, disguised as Indians, boarded the docked ships, smashed 342 chests of tea, and dumped them into the Atlantic This became known as the Boston Tea Party Tea became the perfect symbol to rally around since almost all of colonists drank the beverage Radicals all up and down the coast applauded the event and burned tea leaves in protest But conservative complained that the destruction of private property violated the law and threatened anarchy and a breakdown civil law Britain had no other means but to respond and whip the colonists into shape In Boston British officials refused to back down Hutchinson (Mass, Gov) infuriated Bostons radicals when he ordered the tea ships nor to clear Bostons harbor until they unloaded their cargo. On Dec 17, 1773, around 100 Bostonians, disguised as Indians, boarded the docked ships, smashed 342 chests of tea, and dumped them into the Atlantic This became known as the Boston Tea Party Tea became the perfect symbol to rally around since almost all of colonists drank the beverage Radicals all up and down the coast applauded the event and burned tea leaves in protest But conservative complained that the destruction of private property violated the law and threatened anarchy and a breakdown civil law Britain had no other means but to respond and whip the colonists into shape