OCR Specification focus:
‘Tea Act (1773) and response including the ‘Intolerable Acts’ (1774–1775)’
The Tea Act of 1773 was a turning point in colonial resistance, escalating tensions between Britain and America and paving the way for revolutionary confrontation.
Background to the Tea Act
The Tea Act was introduced by the British Parliament in 1773. It was not primarily designed to raise revenue from the American colonies but to rescue the struggling British East India Company (EIC). The company had vast amounts of unsold tea stored in Britain due to declining sales, caused by both competition from smuggled Dutch tea and the existing Townshend Duties (1767), which had placed a tax on tea imported into the colonies.
Key Provisions of the Tea Act
Allowed the East India Company to sell tea directly to the American colonies, bypassing colonial merchants.
Retained the small import duty from the Townshend Duties, symbolising Parliament’s right to tax.
Lowered the overall cost of tea for consumers by cutting out middlemen.
The act appeared reasonable to British legislators, as it made tea cheaper for colonists, yet its implications struck at the heart of colonial resistance.
Colonial Reaction and the Issue of Taxation
Colonists viewed the Tea Act as a threat to their liberties rather than a financial relief.
Taxation without representation: The principle that it was unjust for Britain to impose taxes on the colonies when colonists had no elected representatives in Parliament.
By enforcing a duty on tea, Parliament reaffirmed its right to legislate for the colonies in matters of taxation. Many colonists believed this undermined their elected assemblies and constitutional rights.
Opposition from Colonial Merchants
Colonial merchants were outraged as the act granted the East India Company a monopoly.
Local traders risked financial ruin as colonial trade networks were undercut.
Smuggling of Dutch tea, a widespread practice, became politically framed as an act of patriotism.
Wider Public Response
Committees of Correspondence spread anti-Tea Act propaganda, framing it as an attack on liberty.
Public meetings and petitions denounced the act across colonies, particularly in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston.
The Boston Tea Party (December 1773)
The most famous protest was the Boston Tea Party. In December 1773, members of the Sons of Liberty, disguised as Mohawk Indians, boarded three ships and dumped 342 chests of East India Company tea into Boston Harbour.
Hand-coloured lithograph by Nathaniel Currier depicting the destruction of East India Company tea during the Boston Tea Party (16 December 1773). The scene clearly shows colonists boarding the ships, opening chests, and tipping tea into the harbour. As a nineteenth-century reconstruction, its dramatic details are interpretive but faithfully capture the essential sequence of events. Source
Sons of Liberty: A radical colonial organisation that opposed British policies and organised protests, often using direct action and intimidation.
The destruction of valuable property shocked British authorities. For many colonists, however, it symbolised determined resistance against arbitrary power.
The British Response: The Intolerable Acts (1774–1775)
Britain retaliated with a series of punitive measures officially called the Coercive Acts, but known in America as the Intolerable Acts. These aimed to isolate Massachusetts and restore British control.
Key Provisions
Boston Port Act (1774): Closed Boston Harbour until the destroyed tea was paid for.
A 1774 mezzotint satirising the closure of Boston Harbour under the Boston Port Act, with Bostonians confined in a cage suspended from the Liberty Tree and supplied by boat. The print communicates the intended hardship and isolation of the measure. Source
Massachusetts Government Act: Reduced self-government, allowing the royal governor to appoint officials and restricting town meetings.
Administration of Justice Act: Allowed royal officials accused of crimes to be tried in Britain, raising fears of immunity from colonial justice.
Quartering Act (extension): Enabled British troops to be housed in private homes if necessary.
Impact on the Colonies
Instead of isolating Massachusetts, the acts provoked sympathy and solidarity from other colonies.
Colonists viewed them as a direct assault on colonial liberties, not just a punishment of Boston.
Many began to see British policy as deliberately oppressive, convincing moderates that reconciliation was unlikely.
Escalation Towards Revolution
The Tea Act and Intolerable Acts were crucial steps in the escalation of conflict. They pushed colonists from protest into organisation, setting the stage for revolutionary mobilisation.
Formation of the First Continental Congress (1774)
In response to the Intolerable Acts:
Delegates from 12 colonies (excluding Georgia) met in Philadelphia.
They issued a Declaration of Rights and Grievances, rejecting taxation without representation.
Organised a boycott of British goods, increasing colonial unity.
Growing Polarisation
Loyalists argued that destruction of tea was lawless and Parliament had the right to legislate.
Patriots saw British policy as tyrannical, confirming their worst fears about imperial control.
Significance of the Tea Act and Intolerable Acts
The Tea Act (1773) was more than a commercial measure; it became a symbol of imperial overreach and colonial vulnerability. The colonial response, culminating in the Boston Tea Party and the imposition of the Intolerable Acts, transformed political discontent into organised resistance. These developments cemented divisions between Britain and America, making armed conflict increasingly inevitable.
FAQ
Tea was the most popular drink in the colonies, ensuring a wide market. By targeting tea, Parliament could simultaneously help the East India Company reduce its vast stockpile and test colonial acceptance of its right to tax.
Tea also carried symbolic weight. It had been taxed under the Townshend Duties, so retaining a small duty kept the principle of parliamentary authority alive without introducing a new tax.
Smugglers imported cheaper Dutch tea, which avoided British duties. The Tea Act directly threatened this lucrative trade by undercutting smuggled supplies.
Merchants involved in smuggling lost financial incentive to support British imports.
Opposition was framed not only as a defence of trade but also as a defence of liberty, giving smugglers political cover for their economic motives.
Committees of Correspondence were networks of communication between colonies. They circulated pamphlets, letters, and news that portrayed the Tea Act as a deliberate plot to undermine liberty.
They standardised opposition by spreading consistent arguments, mobilised ordinary colonists through town meetings, and helped unify disparate colonies in their response. These committees laid important groundwork for intercolonial cooperation that culminated in the First Continental Congress.
The disguises provided anonymity, protecting participants from identification and prosecution.
Symbolically, the Mohawk identity emphasised American distinctiveness, rejecting British authority and aligning with an image of independence. While not intended to deceive, the costumes added theatrical drama and reinforced the protest as an assertion of colonial identity.
In Britain, many saw the destruction of East India Company property as lawless vandalism. Newspapers condemned it as ungrateful behaviour from colonists who had benefitted from imperial protection.
Political leaders felt compelled to respond decisively. The majority in Parliament, even some sympathetic to colonial grievances, agreed punishment was necessary. This consensus led directly to the passage of the Coercive (Intolerable) Acts in 1774.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks):
In which year was the Tea Act passed, and what was its main purpose?
Mark Scheme:
1 mark for correctly identifying the year as 1773.
1 mark for correctly identifying its main purpose (e.g. to support/rescue the British East India Company by allowing it to sell tea directly to the colonies).
Question 2 (6 marks):
Explain two reasons why the Tea Act (1773) led to widespread opposition in the American colonies.
Mark Scheme:
Up to 3 marks for each reason explained.
Award 1 mark for identifying a valid reason, 1 additional mark for describing it, and 1 further mark for explaining its significance/impact.
Possible points:
Monopoly and economic threat: The East India Company was given the right to sell directly, undercutting colonial merchants. This caused resentment as it threatened local trade and livelihoods. (up to 3 marks)
Taxation without representation: The act retained the duty on tea from the Townshend Duties, reinforcing Parliament’s right to tax without colonial consent. Colonists viewed this as an attack on their liberties. (up to 3 marks)
Other valid points could include the symbolic nature of the act in undermining colonial assemblies, or how it spurred organised resistance (e.g. Committees of Correspondence).
