Boston Tea Party

noun

, American History.

1. a raid on three British ships in Boston Harbor (December 16, 1773) in which Boston colonists, disguised as Indians, threw the contents of several hundred chests of tea into the harbor as a protest against British taxes on tea and against the monopoly granted the East India Company.

Boston Tea Party

noun

1. history a raid in 1773 made by citizens of Boston (disguised as Indians) on three British ships in the harbour as a protest against taxes on tea and the monopoly given to the East India Company. The contents of several hundred chests of tea were dumped into the harbour

Boston Tea Party

1. An act of defiance toward the British government by American colonists; it took place in 1773, before the Revolutionary War . The government in London had given a British company the right to sell tea directly to the colonies, thereby undercutting American merchants. A group of colonists found a ship in the harbor of Boston that was loaded with the company's tea. They dressed as Native Americans , boarded the ship, and threw hundreds of chests of tea overboard. The British government then tried to punish the colonists by closing the port of Boston, but this move only intensified American resistance to the rule of the king.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Boston Tea Party¹

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

A year before he had similarly arrived with news of the Boston Tea Party.

From The Daily Beast

The press release said it would cover from the Boston Tea Party all the way through to the Declaration of Independence.

From The Daily Beast

In his new book American Fun, John Beckman charts our pursuit of happiness from the Boston Tea Party to hippies and Yippies.

From The Daily Beast

You know we guys are still smarting about the Boston Tea Party!

From The Daily Beast

Here, she talks about what inspired her to start the liveliest protest since the Boston Tea Party.

From The Daily Beast

Grandfather here described the affair, which is known by the name of the Boston Tea Party.

From Project Gutenberg

Boston Tea Party shows American colonists to be hysterical and utterly incapable of self-government.

From Project Gutenberg

The most celebrated tea party ever held was called the "Boston Tea Party."

From Project Gutenberg

The first of these was the celebrated "Boston Tea Party" referred to above.

From Project Gutenberg

In a closet of one of the rooms is shown a tea-chest, the only one left from the memorable Boston Tea Party.

From Project Gutenberg