The Boston Tea Party was a political protest that occurred on December 16, 1773, in Boston, Massachusetts. It was a response to Britain's imposition of taxes on the American colonists without granting them representation in Parliament. The colonists were angered by what they saw as "taxation without representation" and felt it was an infringement on their rights.

The Sons of Liberty, a group of colonial merchants and tradesmen, played a significant role in organizing the Boston Tea Party. Led by figures such as Samuel Adams and John Hancock, they protested against the Stamp Act and other forms of taxation imposed by Britain.

In response to the colonists' boycott of British tea, the British Parliament passed the Tea Act in 1773. This act allowed the British East India Company to sell tea to the colonies at a lower price but maintained the tax when it reached colonial ports. The colonists viewed this as an attempt to maintain control over their interests and responded with resistance.

On the night of December 16, 1773, a group of men, many of them members of the Sons of Liberty, disguised themselves as Native Americans and boarded three British East India Company ships docked at Griffin's Wharf. They proceeded to throw 342 chests of tea into the harbor, emptying the ships of their cargo.

The Boston Tea Party was a symbolic act of defiance against British rule and taxation. It demonstrated the colonists' unwillingness to accept British authority without representation and rallied American patriots across the 13 colonies to fight for independence.

The British government responded to the Boston Tea Party by passing the Coercive Acts, also known as the Intolerable Acts. These acts closed the Boston Harbor until the tea lost in the event was paid for, revoked the Massachusetts constitution, moved judicial authority to Britain, and imposed other restrictions on the colonies. These acts further fueled the colonists' anger and united them in their fight against British tyranny.

While figures like Samuel Adams and John Hancock played significant roles in organizing the Boston Tea Party, many of the participants' names remain unknown. The secrecy surrounding their identities was due to the fear of facing civil and criminal charges and condemnation from the elites for the destruction of private property.

In response to the Coercive Acts, delegates from the American colonies gathered for the First Continental Congress in September 1774. They sought to resist British oppression and find ways to unite in their fight for independence. The Boston Tea Party had united the colonists and served as a catalyst for the start of the American Revolutionary War.

This historic event played a crucial role in shaping American independence and cementing the ideals of freedom and representation that still resonate today.