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May 10 – Parliament passes the Tea
Act, retaining a three pence per pound tax on tea sold in the
American colonies
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August 4 – The East India Company
announces the selection of tea consignees, those merchants who will
be allowed to sell tea. Seven are chosen from Boston, all are
Loyalists.
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November 3 – Boston’s North End
Caucus demands, unsuccessfully, that the tea consignees resign at
noon under the Liberty Tree.
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November 5 – Over 1,000 gather in
a town meeting at Faneuil Hall. Committees are formed to call on tea
consignees and demand their resignation.
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November 17 – A mob gathers
outside tea consignee Richard Clarke’s residence and smashes
windows.
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November 28 – The Dartmouth, the
first of the tea ships, arrives in Boston Harbor. Twenty days from
this date the cargo must be unloaded and the tax paid or the ship
and cargo can be seized by customs officials.
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November 29 – The “Body of the
People” meet at the Old South Meeting House. This meeting is not an
official town meeting, but instead includes participants from
outlying towns as well. The large meeting moves from Faneuil Hall to
the Old South Meeting House. The meeting resolves the tea must not
be unloaded, but instead sent back to England.
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November 30 - Artist John
Singleton Copley tries to arrange a compromise between the “Body of
the People” and the consignees. The consignees offer to store the
tea, but the meeting at Old South finds that offer unacceptable.
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December 13 – Boston learns that
tea consignees in Philadelphia and New York have resigned.
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December 14 – A second meeting of
the Body of the People is held at the Old South Meeting House. The
meeting demands Francis Rotch, owner of the tea ship Dartmouth, to
request clearance to leave from custom officials. Clearance is
denied.
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December 16 (morning) – Deadline
for resolving the issue is midnight this night. A third meeting of
the Body of the People gathers at the Old South Meeting House. The
crowd is estimated at 5,000 – 7,000 people. Meeting at Old South
hears of Rotch’s failed mission, orders him to request pass to
remove ship from harbor from Governor Hutchinson.
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December 16 (afternoon) – Rotch
goes to Governor Hutchinson’s in Milton, MA, and is denied his
request for a pass. Upon reporting this at Old South, Samuel Adams
declares, “This meeting can do nothing more to save the country.”
War whoops are heard at the Old South doors, and the meeting
adjourns.
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December 16 (evening) – Between
6:00 and 9:00 P.M. 342 chests of tea are destroyed and thrown from
the tea ships into the harbor.
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January 19 – King George III receives
first news of the Boston Tea Party. Parliament decides to punish
Boston.
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March 30 – The Boston Port Bill, closing
Boston to ocean traffic until the destroyed tea is paid for, is
passed by Parliament.
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May 13 – Town meeting held in Boston.
Those attending vote to refuse to pay for destroyed tea.
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May 18 – Parliament passes Justice Bill,
effectively placing province under martial law.
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June 1 – Boston Port Bill goes into
effect. o September 5 – First Continental Congress meets in
Philadelphia.
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