Final answer:
Samuel Adams organized the Boston Tea Party in 1773, leading the Sons of Liberty to dump tea into Boston Harbor, an act that contributed to the American Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The patriot leader who organized the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773, was Samuel Adams. Samuel Adams led the Sons of Liberty in a protest against the Tea Act, which gave the East India Company a monopoly on tea imports to the colonies. The act of dumping 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor was a significant event that contributed to the escalation of tensions leading to the American Revolution.
After the Boston Tea Party, King George III of England imposed harsh punishments on Massachusetts through measures called the Intolerable Acts. These actions aimed to impose control and discipline on the colonies but ultimately had the opposite effect, further inflaming resistance and moving the colonies toward independence.