The Boston Tea Party
The tax on tea that Parliament had passed greatly effected the tea business in the colonies. The price of tea in the Americas increased, making it more difficult for tea growers, producers, and shippers to survive. In order to insure that British companies would not be hurt by this new tax, Parliament passed a law that exempted British companies from having to pay the tax. This meant that these companies could sell their tea cheaper, almost guaranteeing that companies based in the Americas would go out of business.
In protest a group of individuals dressed up as Native Americans boarded a cargo ship in Boston Harbor, and dumped its entire load of tea into the harbor waters. This event became known as the Boston tea party.
In response to the Boston tea party the Parliament in Great Britain passed a number of new laws, which completely closed down the Boston Harbor until colonists paid for the cost of the tea that had been dumped into the harbor. These new laws also greatly limited the freedoms of the colonists, requiring them to obtain permission from the governor prior to holding any public meetings, and greatly limiting the power of the legislature.
These new laws became known by the colonies as the intolerable acts.
