It was organised by members of the Sons of Liberty in response to the Tea Act, which allowed the British East India Company to sell tea in the colonies with reduced taxes.
During the protest, colonists disguised as Native Americans boarded British ships in Boston Harbor. They dumped large quantities of tea into the water as an act of defiance.
The Boston Tea Party became one of the key events leading to the American Revolution. It is remembered as an important expression of resistance and the fight for political rights.