Final answer:
The Boston Tea Party, a protest on December 16, 1773, by the Sons of Liberty, involved the dumping of tea into Boston Harbor in response to British taxation policies. The protesters disguised themselves as Mohawks for anonymity and to symbolize American identity. This event led to punitive measures by the British and was a catalyst for the American Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a significant event that occurred on December 16, 1773, when a group of colonists, part of a movement called the Sons of Liberty, boarded British tea ships and dumped 342 containers of tea into Boston Harbor.
They were dressed as Native Americans, specifically Mohawks, to hide their identities and to symbolically represent America's ‘natural’ inhabitants, as well as to create a striking and memorable protest.
This act was in direct response to the Tea Act, which allowed the British East India Company to sell tea to the colonies without paying taxes, undercutting local merchants and symbolizing Britain's perceived entitlement to tax the colonies without representation.
Their choice of disguise was practical for anonymity and carried symbolic weight, representing an assertion of an American identity separate from Britain.
The aftermath of the Boston Tea Party was severe, with King George III imposing the Intolerable Acts as punishment, which ultimately fueled the desire for American independence and played a crucial role in the onset of the American Revolution.
To explore more about the Boston Tea Party and its impact, one can visit the Massachusetts Historical Society or the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum collections for extensive resources, including articles, photos, and videos.