--- title: "What was Britain's reaction to the Boston Tea Party?" description: "What was Britain's reaction to the Boston Tea Party?" author: "Gray  park" published: 2018-10-28 canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/51433/what-was-britain-s-reaction-to-the-boston-tea-party category: "history, politics & society" tags: ["usa history"] reading_time: 3 minutes --- # What was Britain's reaction to the Boston Tea Party? What was Britain's reaction to the [Boston Tea](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/40928/what-role-did-thomas-jefferson-s-committee-of-correspondence-play-in-the-boston-tea-party) [Party](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/81494/when-power-will-come-back-in-congress-party)? \ \ \ ## Answers ### Answer by user ## An overview The **Boston Tea Party** was an **American political and mercantile protest** by the **Sons of Liberty in Boston**, **Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773.** The target was the **Tea Act of May 10, 1773,** which allowed the **[B](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/32982/what-was-the-east-india-company-s-role-in-india-s-history)[ritish East India Company](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/32982/what-was-the-east-india-company-s-role-in-india-s-history)** to sell **tea from China** in **American colonies without paying taxes** apart from those imposed by the Townshend Acts. https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-4392740333731945&output=html&h=280&adk=2801614165&adf=1007200670&pi=t.aa~a.1398768072~i.5~rp.4&w=673&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1658470659&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=1094794600&psa=1&ad_type=text_image&format=673x280&url=http%3A%2F%2Fanswers.mindstick.com%2Fqa%2F51433%2Fwhat-was-britain-s-reaction-to-the-boston-tea-party&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=168&rw=672&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&adsid=ChAI8PLjlgYQkq-HwdnTitQ_EkwA8J1Hsd4p30AcKC93SLU-L8X5-OFiUhBZ9fxazGSGdUZ2gNAPaGxciA0FJ4EnSEeoIXBg6wj6Zd850UhVqzdallW4Vc2ubEyYMKQH&dt=1658470659046&bpp=6&bdt=2001&idt=-M&shv=r20220721&mjsv=m202207180101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Dbeff3bca69796673%3AT%3D1657646696%3AS%3DALNI_MbOvIJrXCZTb-MZ4_nXHkN_mPptgg&gpic=UID%3D000007a2ef180889%3AT%3D1657646696%3ART%3D1658466360%3AS%3DALNI_Manewx56oxknz1-0sbKVQXQ6I7ZIA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=6083330068423&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1086799091.1657637850&ga_sid=1658470658&ga_hid=1051120973&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=14&u_h=864&u_w=1536&u_ah=824&u_aw=1536&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.25&adx=337&ady=808&biw=1519&bih=696&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=44759876%2C44759927%2C44759842%2C44763505&oid=2&pvsid=103857673818819&tmod=2058766045&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fanswers.mindstick.com%2Fqa%2F51433%2Fwhat-was-britain-s-reaction-to-the-boston-tea-party&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1536%2C0%2C1536%2C824%2C1536%2C696&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=23&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=5gxI9OmcYf&p=http%3A//answers.mindstick.com&dtd=242 \ The **Sons of Liberty strongly opposed** the taxes in the **Townshend Act** as a violation of their rights. Protesters, some disguised as **American Indians,** **destroyed an entire shipment of tea sent by the East India Company.** What was Britain\ Read also: [**till-which-year-the-appointments-of-the-civil-services-were-exclusively-done-by-the-directors-of-the-east-india-company?**](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/39546/till-which-year-the-appointments-of-the-civil-services-were-exclusively-done-by-the-directors-of-the-east-india-company) \ \ In addition, the well-connected East India Company had been **granted competitive advantages over colonial tea importers**, who resented the **move and feared additional infringement on their business.** \ Protesters had **successfully prevented the unloading of tea in three other colonies**, but in Boston, **embattled Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson** refused to allow the tea to be **returned to Great Britain**. \ The British response to the Boston Tea Party was to i**mpose even more stringent policies on the Massachusetts colony**. The **Coercive Acts levied fines for the destroyed tea,** sent British troops to Boston, and rewrote the colonial charter of Massachusetts, giving broadly expanded powers to the royally appointed governor. ### Answer by user **An overview** The **Boston Tea Party was an American political and mercantile protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston**, Massachusetts, **on December 16, 1773. The target was the Tea Act of May 10, 1773**, which allowed the British East I**ndia Company to sell tea from China** in American colonies **without paying taxes apart** from those imposed by the Townshend Acts. ![What was Britain](https://answers.mindstick.com/questionanswer/1552e6b5-0279-4438-a5d0-3644bf2ce73c/images/29541b88-3beb-42cd-8716-31445e6ebd86.jpeg) to be taxed only **by their elected representatives** and not by a parliament in which they were not represented. \ The British response to the Boston Tea Party was to **impose even more stringent policies on the Massachusetts colony.** \ The **Coercive Acts levied fines for the destroyed tea**, sent British troops to Boston, and r**ewrote the colonial charter of Massachusetts,** giving broadly expanded powers to the royally appointed governor. \ ### Answer by Sarda Kumari ## An Overview: Boston Tea Party The Boston Tea Party was an American **political** and mercantile protest by the Sons of Liberty in **Boston**, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773. The target was the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, which allowed the British East India Company to sell **tea** from China in American colonies without paying taxes apart from those imposed by the Townshend Acts. The **Sons of Liberty** strongly opposed the taxes in the **Townshend Act** as a violation of their rights. Protesters, some disguised as American Indians, destroyed an entire shipment of tea sent by the East India Company. ![What was Britain](https://answers.mindstick.com/questionanswer/1552e6b5-0279-4438-a5d0-3644bf2ce73c/images/8d51f0de-a209-4efe-a8cf-83f9a2019632.jpeg) response to the Boston Tea Party was to impose even more **stringent policies** on the Massachusetts colony. The Coercive Acts levied fines for the destroyed tea, sent British troops to Boston, and rewrote the colonial charter of Massachusetts, giving broadly expanded powers to the royally appointed governor. \ **Also read: [How did colonial leaders use the Boston Massacre as propaganda?](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/43380/how-did-colonial-leaders-use-the-boston-massacre-as-propaganda)** --- Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/51433/what-was-britain-s-reaction-to-the-boston-tea-party Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.