Robert J. Allison

1773: What Else Happened Besides the Tea Party?

December 16, 1773, Bostonians destroyed three cargoes of East India Tea in one of the greatest acts of civil disobedience of all time, and the event that precipitated the Revolution. But why did this become such an important event? We will discuss the political background to the Destruction of the Tea, and why Massachusetts was already on the road to rebellion, and other events, related and not, to the drama of the Tea Party (as it would not be called for another half-century). Why was this such a big deal?

The professional recording of this session was funded by a Preserving America grant from Americana Corner.

[Recorded on 12 August 2023]

Robert J. Allison chairs Revolution 250, and is President of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, and a Professor of History at Suffolk University. His books include short histories of the American Revolution and the Boston Tea Party.


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