In the second half of the 18th century, the struggle of the North American colonies of Great Britain for their independence intensified. As part of a company aimed at undermining the economy of the colonies, the British government decided to give the East India Company the right to import tea into North America without duties. This decision was followed by an action, known in history as the Boston Tea Party.
The beginning of the protest in Boston
Residents of the North American colonies of England were extremely dissatisfied with the taxes and duties that their overseas metropolis set for their distant possessions. The immediate cause of the next conflict was a sharp change in the price of tea imported into North America by the British East India Company.
In December 1773, three merchant ships of the East India Company docked at the port of Boston, loaded to the top with tea. A group of Americans protested, demanding that the unloading of the goods be canceled and returned to Britain. The owners of the vessels agreed with this statement of the issue. But the governor of the British colony imposed a ban on the return of ships until Boston pays a fee.
The illegal actions of the colonial administration caused widespread protest and indignation of the inhabitants of the city.
Near one of Boston's largest buildings, at least seven thousand people gathered outraged by the actions of the English administration. The leader of the indignant people, Samuel Adams, called on patriotic comrades-in-arms to take active actions that would help save the country from illegal actions by the British authorities. A group of patriots, which has become the core of the protest, is known as the "Sons of Freedom."
