On 16 December 1773, thousands attended a Boston town meeting in the rain at 10 am, knowing that in 14 hours, the tea on the three ships in the harbor (the Dartmouth, the Beaver, and the Eleanor) would legally belong to the authorities. It was reported at the meeting that one of the owners of the tea ships was ordered to get his ship ready to leave and to set off on land to appeal to the one person that could waive the rules in place that kept his ship in Boston: MA Governor Hutchinson. The ship owner was told by Hutchinson that he would receive permission to leave once his tea landed and the duty was paid. Neither man envisioned an immediate threat or emergency, in that both assumed that the tea-laden ships would be towed away by the British warship, rendering the current situation moot.
At about 6 pm, at a meeting held at the Old South Church (the largest building in Boston), the ship owner reported what he had been told by Hutchinson: he would not receive an exception to the existing rules. Those assembled agreed that the ship’s owner had done all he could on his end, and absolved him. Before the town meeting ended, a small section of those gathered broke away into the streets, whooping and hollering. Adams and the others up front called for the meeting to continue, since their business was not yet finished, but several hundred among the 3000+ gathered had left by the time order was reestablished.
As the meeting ended and the church pews emptied, Adams huddled with Hancock, Warren, and at least one another ally: ironically, Adams would miss out on what became known as the Boston Tea Party, something of which he had hinted and teased about weeks earlier. Unlike the Boston Massacre, which had many eyewitnesses (that gave very divergent accounts), there wouldn’t be a single credible eyewitness to the Boston Tea Party among the 5000+ that witnessed the event in the early-evening of 16 December 1773.
At about 6 pm, at a meeting held at the Old South Church (the largest building in Boston), the ship owner reported what he had been told by Hutchinson: he would not receive an exception to the existing rules. Those assembled agreed that the ship’s owner had done all he could on his end, and absolved him. Before the town meeting ended, a small section of those gathered broke away into the streets, whooping and hollering. Adams and the others up front called for the meeting to continue, since their business was not yet finished, but several hundred among the 3000+ gathered had left by the time order was reestablished.
As the meeting ended and the church pews emptied, Adams huddled with Hancock, Warren, and at least one another ally: ironically, Adams would miss out on what became known as the Boston Tea Party, something of which he had hinted and teased about weeks earlier. Unlike the Boston Massacre, which had many eyewitnesses (that gave very divergent accounts), there wouldn’t be a single credible eyewitness to the Boston Tea Party among the 5000+ that witnessed the event in the early-evening of 16 December 1773.
Among the departing thousands from the meeting, a small band of soot-faced and extraordinarily attired men proceeded to the harbor with hatchets, clubs, and pistols - the watch patrols had melted away from the wharf. The band of 50 or so first boarded the Dartmouth, insisting on the keys for the cargo holds as well as candles, sending the customs official on deck ashore. Under a bright moon, thousands watched (including Tories; a.k.a. Loyalists) as the 50+ men took chests of tea from the cargo hold and started to dump tea and the splintered wood from the chests into the harbor; the process was repeated on the other tea ships. The 50+ men made sure that no other cargo on the ships were damaged, even replacing other cargo that needed to be moved to get to the tea in neat fashion. The sound of the commotion in Boston Harbor even reached The Castle. The chests of tea (each lead-lined chest weighed 400 lbs) that were dumped in the harbor whole refused to immediately sink, floating for a while before going under the surface.
In approximately two hours, 342 chests of tea were dumped into Boston Harbor, with the cool-headedness of the enterprise impressing the thousands that viewed the spectacle. On one on board any of the ships was attacked, and no other cargo was damaged, with the exception being a member of the crowd that took some of the spilled tea leaves; he was tackled and relieved of his ill-gotten booty. To this day, who actually planned and carried out the Boston Tea Party is unknown. No contemporary of the day claimed that Adams gave a previously agreed upon signal during the meeting to unleash the 50+ men, as some historians have argued. The very lack of direct evidence of who planned and ordered the Boston Tea Party is consistent with how Samuel Adams carried out his business in opposition to MA and British authorities, so it is possible, even likely, that Adams was the instigator of the event.
In approximately two hours, 342 chests of tea were dumped into Boston Harbor, with the cool-headedness of the enterprise impressing the thousands that viewed the spectacle. On one on board any of the ships was attacked, and no other cargo was damaged, with the exception being a member of the crowd that took some of the spilled tea leaves; he was tackled and relieved of his ill-gotten booty. To this day, who actually planned and carried out the Boston Tea Party is unknown. No contemporary of the day claimed that Adams gave a previously agreed upon signal during the meeting to unleash the 50+ men, as some historians have argued. The very lack of direct evidence of who planned and ordered the Boston Tea Party is consistent with how Samuel Adams carried out his business in opposition to MA and British authorities, so it is possible, even likely, that Adams was the instigator of the event.
Afterwards, Adams did his best to seem astonished as to what happened. Adams sent Paul Revere to NYC and Philadelphia to inform them of what happened in Boston Harbor. Despite poor weather, Revere traveled quickly, and a week later accounts of the event reached print in those cities. Adams made no attempt to create a name for what happened, unlike his use of the word massacre in March 1770.
The tea steeping in Boston Harbor was worth 10,000 pounds British sterling, which equaled eight times the value of Hutchinson’s mansion. The prices of both tea and coffee increased in the Colonies. Using the Committees of Correspondence (C of C), Adams sent word that Boston had exhausted every possible solution before the Boston Tea Party occurred, floating the idea (which appeared in the Gazette) that renegade Mohawks were responsible. Hutchinson knew he was the one responsible for identifying those involved, and it wasn’t lost on him that the C of C worked overtime while the MA government stalled. Hutchinson soon discovered that no part of Boston’s legal system, or the MA government, would lift a finger to arrest or prosecute anyone; Adams knew who the 50+ men were, of course.
So it fell to Hutchinson to explain to the British government and the British East India Tea Company (BEITC) how 342 chests of tea were dumped into Boston harbor in view of a 60 gun British man-o-war and two frigates. During early-March 1774, a small British ship entered Boston Harbor with 28 chests of non-BEITC tea, and another group of men dumped that tea into the harbor.
The tea steeping in Boston Harbor was worth 10,000 pounds British sterling, which equaled eight times the value of Hutchinson’s mansion. The prices of both tea and coffee increased in the Colonies. Using the Committees of Correspondence (C of C), Adams sent word that Boston had exhausted every possible solution before the Boston Tea Party occurred, floating the idea (which appeared in the Gazette) that renegade Mohawks were responsible. Hutchinson knew he was the one responsible for identifying those involved, and it wasn’t lost on him that the C of C worked overtime while the MA government stalled. Hutchinson soon discovered that no part of Boston’s legal system, or the MA government, would lift a finger to arrest or prosecute anyone; Adams knew who the 50+ men were, of course.
So it fell to Hutchinson to explain to the British government and the British East India Tea Company (BEITC) how 342 chests of tea were dumped into Boston harbor in view of a 60 gun British man-o-war and two frigates. During early-March 1774, a small British ship entered Boston Harbor with 28 chests of non-BEITC tea, and another group of men dumped that tea into the harbor.
Lord Dartmouth, Hutchinson’s superior, ordered him to get rid of the C of C, since among other things, the C of C displeased King George III. The C of C connected the MA countryside (and the Colonies) with Boston like never before, and the Boston Tea Party served as the switch for creating solidarity with Boston and MA. Words like slavery and taskmasters were commonly used in the MA countryside, and an increasing number of people viewed that their liberties, freedom of religion, and property rights were now at risk. Adams was told by Revere that many that opposed the Tea Act did so not out of love for liberty, but that they were against a tea monopoly in the Colonies.
So, what would be Britain’s response to the Boston Tea Party? John Adams didn’t think that Britain would act quickly, but he did worry about British overreaction. A customs collector posed the most relevant question: was the Boston Tea Party a declaration of war, or an act of insurrection - this official did not expect nonaction by London. When it reached London in early-1774, news of the Boston Tea Party sent a shock through the halls of government. King George III was incensed, demanding that MA in particular needed to be dealt with.
Interestingly, the first British target was Benjamin Franklin. A month earlier, Franklin admitted that he was the one that sent the stolen Hutchinson letters to the Colonies, an on 29 January 1774, just days after the receiving news of the Boston Tea Party, Franklin was officially reprimanded. Worse yet, Franklin was publicly humiliated in the Privy Council, and then stripped of all his official positions. Franklin was the first to be on the receiving end of the frustration and ire of the British government concerning not just Boston, but also NYC and Philadelphia. It was ironic that Franklin was the first American casualty, in that he had repeatedly advised Boston to reimburse the British East India Tea Company for the tea that had been held hostage at the dock. Franklin’s focus was on reconciliation, and Adams, who had opposed Franklin being a Colonial (PA) agent in London, didn’t believe for quite some time that Franklin had the best interests of the American Colonies at heart.
So, what would be Britain’s response to the Boston Tea Party? John Adams didn’t think that Britain would act quickly, but he did worry about British overreaction. A customs collector posed the most relevant question: was the Boston Tea Party a declaration of war, or an act of insurrection - this official did not expect nonaction by London. When it reached London in early-1774, news of the Boston Tea Party sent a shock through the halls of government. King George III was incensed, demanding that MA in particular needed to be dealt with.
Interestingly, the first British target was Benjamin Franklin. A month earlier, Franklin admitted that he was the one that sent the stolen Hutchinson letters to the Colonies, an on 29 January 1774, just days after the receiving news of the Boston Tea Party, Franklin was officially reprimanded. Worse yet, Franklin was publicly humiliated in the Privy Council, and then stripped of all his official positions. Franklin was the first to be on the receiving end of the frustration and ire of the British government concerning not just Boston, but also NYC and Philadelphia. It was ironic that Franklin was the first American casualty, in that he had repeatedly advised Boston to reimburse the British East India Tea Company for the tea that had been held hostage at the dock. Franklin’s focus was on reconciliation, and Adams, who had opposed Franklin being a Colonial (PA) agent in London, didn’t believe for quite some time that Franklin had the best interests of the American Colonies at heart.
On 11 February 1774, the British attorney general and other officials assured King George III that the Boston Tea Party was an act of High Treason, and arrest warrants would be issued. While a chart of conspirators was created based on various testimony, no specific person would ever be proven to be at the wharf, which meant there could be no legal arrests, and prosecution would be impossible. King George III exploded in anger and frustration, demanding that Boston and MA needed to be severely punished another way; Adams knew that Boston in particular had to brace itself.
As the third anniversary of the Boston Massacre came closer, Adams succeeded in convincing Hancock to give the oration, which would be his first public address. Hancock delivered his address to what was considered to be at the time the largest audience in Boston’s history. Hancock, who undoubtedly had assistance in preparing his speech from Adams, remembered the event and the victims, while also issuing a call to arms. Even John Adams was impressed with Hancock, in that his delivery and passion surpassed all expectations. Soon afterwards, reports of Franklin’s humiliation in Britain circulated in Boston, as well as rumors of future punishments. During mid-April 1774, Adams sent a printed copy of Hancock’s oration to John Dickinson in Philadelphia in order to further spread the passion of liberty
London decided to punish Boston alone, since for the last eight-plus years the city had been, in the view of the British government, the epicenter of all the problems in the Colonies. Several bills were in the process of working their way through Parliament, and the Boston Port Act was the first, passed at the end of March 1774. The act in effect would shut down the Port of Boston, and only a few frigates were needed to do so. Then it was learned in MA that General Thomas Gage would be assigned to to Boston as Governor and Commander-in-Chief, with orders to keep the Port of Boston closed until the city reimbursed the BEITC. Gage was also ordered to transfer the seat of MA government from Boston to Salem. Gage was tasked with identifying the suspects and conducting trials over what occurred on 16 December 1773.
As the third anniversary of the Boston Massacre came closer, Adams succeeded in convincing Hancock to give the oration, which would be his first public address. Hancock delivered his address to what was considered to be at the time the largest audience in Boston’s history. Hancock, who undoubtedly had assistance in preparing his speech from Adams, remembered the event and the victims, while also issuing a call to arms. Even John Adams was impressed with Hancock, in that his delivery and passion surpassed all expectations. Soon afterwards, reports of Franklin’s humiliation in Britain circulated in Boston, as well as rumors of future punishments. During mid-April 1774, Adams sent a printed copy of Hancock’s oration to John Dickinson in Philadelphia in order to further spread the passion of liberty
London decided to punish Boston alone, since for the last eight-plus years the city had been, in the view of the British government, the epicenter of all the problems in the Colonies. Several bills were in the process of working their way through Parliament, and the Boston Port Act was the first, passed at the end of March 1774. The act in effect would shut down the Port of Boston, and only a few frigates were needed to do so. Then it was learned in MA that General Thomas Gage would be assigned to to Boston as Governor and Commander-in-Chief, with orders to keep the Port of Boston closed until the city reimbursed the BEITC. Gage was also ordered to transfer the seat of MA government from Boston to Salem. Gage was tasked with identifying the suspects and conducting trials over what occurred on 16 December 1773.