The Colonists’ protests British taxation came to a head the night of December 16, 1773, when the “Sons of Liberty” boarded three ships docked at Griffin Wharf: The Beaver, Eleanor, and Dartmouth, each loaded with tons of East India Company tea.

During the Meticulously planned operation the Sons of Liberty dumped 342 chests of tea into the icy Boston waters, enough to brew 18 million cups. While the cargo was destroyed there was no violence, nothing was stolen, and no damage to the ships or crew. The Sons of Liberty even swept the decks clean and put everything back as they found it.

As a result of the Boston Tea Party the British closed down Boston Harbor, cutting off a significant source of colonial trade and income. This served to harden the colonists’ resolve against the British, sparking a series of protests and launching the American Revolution.