Before the Boston Tea Party
(a.k.a. The Boston Tea Act), Boston was a thriving colony; it had ports for trading, which was it's main income. When the Boston Tea Act was committed, Britain shut down the port until they had payed off all their debts(the cost of the tea crates). This forced Boston into a corner because, previously stated, they were a thriving colony, but because they were shut down, many lost their jobs and couldn't pay off their debt to Britain. Many fled elsewhere to find jobs to financially support themselves and Boston fell apart.