The Boston Tea Party and Resistance to British Rule

Guiding Question: 

What led to the Boston Tea Party, and what effect did the Tea Party have on the relationship between Britain and its North American colonies? 

Overview: 

On December 16, 1773, angry American colonists threw thousands of pounds of tea into Boston Harbor in what has become known as the Boston Tea Party. It was a demonstration of opposition to British economic and tax policies and one of numerous events that furthered the unraveling of ties between the American colonies and the British empire. The Tea Party continues to be an important historical event in the minds of Americans on its 250 anniversary this year. 

Resources: 

Handout A: The Boston Tea Party 

Handout B: “Bostonians in Distress”(1774) 

Handout C: “The Bostonians Paying the Excise Man” (1774) 

Handout D: The Boston Tea Party and Resistance to British Rule Graphic Organizer 

Handout E: The Boston Tea Party and Resistance to British Rule Answer Key 

 

Engage: 

Have students read Handout A: The Boston Tea Party to understand the story of the Boston Tea Party. Then answer JUST the Review Questions. 

Explore: 

Have students analyze the political cartoons depicted in Handout B: “Bostonians in Distress”(1774) and Handout C: “The Bostonians Paying the Excise Man” (1774) and fill out Handout D: Graphic Organizer.