How Did The Tea Act Contribute To The American Revolution

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Britain tried to control the colonies' trade through the Navigation Acts and that caused resentment and rebellion. Later the Townshend Acts would cause suspicion and struggle when England tried to tax colonists to pay colonial judges and governors to work with Britain. The Tea Act was imposed to help out the East India Company and had nothing to do with taxes, but with smothering the smuggling of Dutch tea. The colonists were radically angry about supposedly being taxed without consent, and the Boston Tea Party happened because of it. The Intolerable Acts, or the Coercive Acts, which gave Britain the right to try criminals in England as well as close the Boston Harbor until reparations were paid. So anything that the British did the colonists …show more content…

The Tea Act was enacted as a way for Britain to salvage the bankrupt-bound East India Company that needed to sell about 17 million pounds of tea that was sitting untouched in London. The act allowed the company to sell directly to the colonies without paying those burdensome duties, it would undercut the smuggling of Dutch tea, and it had nothing to do with taxes. Lord North was in charge of the colonies obedience, in other words he was the warden, specifically having to deal with the problem-child a lot, New England. Committees of Correspondence told colonists that the British's cheap tea was a clever conspiracy, so the colonists would tolerate taxation without consent. This angered the colonists, so a large shipment of tea left for the colonies, and the colonists' passion for justice and liberty would outweigh their love for tea in mid December of 1773. On December 16th, the Sons of Liberty dressed as Mohawk Indians with hatchets, forced themselves onto the ships, and threw 342 chests. It was about 92,000 pounds and worth about 15,000 pounds-sterling of East India Company Tea that they chucked …show more content…

The Boston Port Act closed the Boston Harbor from June 1, 1774 until Bostonians paid the tea off. In addition, the new Quartering Act made colonists provide lodging to British soldiers, and billeting soldiers highly offensive. Everywhere else colonists protested, boycotted, burned tea, and raised money for Boston Continental Congress was made by Thomas Jefferson to represent all colonies. Then Massachusetts Governing Act made so that sheriffs appointed jurors and that a town meeting couldn't be held without the royal governor's approval. Finally, to top off the all the British corruption, British Lieutenant-General Thomas Gage became governor of all