The Sons of Liberty and The Tea Party
The Sons of Liberty were a group of American colonists that did not agree with the Tea Act and all of the previous events that led up to the Tea Act. Samuel Adams led the American colonists in protest to the tea tax. They snuck on to the ships that were moored in Griffin's Wharf containing the tea which were named Dartmouth, Beaver, and Eleanor. During the evening of December 16, 1773, one hundred colonists dressed as Native Americans and boarded the ships with axes. Over a thousand colonists on the shore watched as the Sons of Liberty opened the chests and dumped the tea into the Harbor. "In the course of the night, all 342 chests of tea aboard the ships were destroyed. The East India Company later valued the cargo at £9,659." (Hickman , 2013). In today's currency, that would equal approximately one million dollars worth of tea. During the protest, no one was injured and there was no clashes British troops.
Photo: drawing of the Sons of Liberty breaking into the tea.
Photo: drawing of the Sons of Liberty breaking into the tea.
"Let every man do his duty, and be true to his country." (Hawkes, J.(1834).
The following is an eye witness account from George R. T. Hewes who was a member of the Sons of Liberty and took part in the Boston Tea Party.
It was now evening, and I immediately dressed myself in the costume of an Indian, equipped
with a small hatchet, which I and my associates denominated the tomahawk, with which, and
a club, after having painted my face and hands with coal dust in the shop of a blacksmith, I
repaired to Griffin's wharf, where the ships lay that contained the tea. When I first appeared
in the street, after being thus disguised, I fell in with many who were dressed, equipped and
painted as I was, and who fell in with me, and marched in order to the place of our destination.
When we arrived at the wharf, there were three of our number who assumed an authority to
direct our operations, to which we readily submitted. They divided us into three parties, for the
purpose of boarding the three ships, which contained the tea at the same time. The name of
him who commanded the division to which I was assigned, was Leonard Pitt. The names of the
other commanders I never knew. We were immediately ordered by the respective commanders
to board all the ships at the same time, which we promptly obeyed. The commander of the
division to which I belonged, as soon as we were on board the ship, appointed me boatswain,
and ordered me to go to the captain and demand of him the keys to the hatches and a dozen
candles. I made the demand accordingly, and the captain promptly replied, and delivered the
articles; but requested me at the same time to do no damage to the ship or rigging. We then
were ordered by our commander to open the hatches, and take out all the chest of tea and
throw them overboard, and we immediately proceeded to execute his orders; first cutting and
splitting the chest with our tomahawks, so as thoroughly to expose them to the effects of the
water. In about three hours from the time we went on board, we had thus broken and thrown
overboard every tea chest to be found in the ship; while those in the other ships we disposing
of the tea in the same way, at the same time. We were surrounded by British armed ships, but
no attempt was made to resist us. (Hawkes, J. (1834).
with a small hatchet, which I and my associates denominated the tomahawk, with which, and
a club, after having painted my face and hands with coal dust in the shop of a blacksmith, I
repaired to Griffin's wharf, where the ships lay that contained the tea. When I first appeared
in the street, after being thus disguised, I fell in with many who were dressed, equipped and
painted as I was, and who fell in with me, and marched in order to the place of our destination.
When we arrived at the wharf, there were three of our number who assumed an authority to
direct our operations, to which we readily submitted. They divided us into three parties, for the
purpose of boarding the three ships, which contained the tea at the same time. The name of
him who commanded the division to which I was assigned, was Leonard Pitt. The names of the
other commanders I never knew. We were immediately ordered by the respective commanders
to board all the ships at the same time, which we promptly obeyed. The commander of the
division to which I belonged, as soon as we were on board the ship, appointed me boatswain,
and ordered me to go to the captain and demand of him the keys to the hatches and a dozen
candles. I made the demand accordingly, and the captain promptly replied, and delivered the
articles; but requested me at the same time to do no damage to the ship or rigging. We then
were ordered by our commander to open the hatches, and take out all the chest of tea and
throw them overboard, and we immediately proceeded to execute his orders; first cutting and
splitting the chest with our tomahawks, so as thoroughly to expose them to the effects of the
water. In about three hours from the time we went on board, we had thus broken and thrown
overboard every tea chest to be found in the ship; while those in the other ships we disposing
of the tea in the same way, at the same time. We were surrounded by British armed ships, but
no attempt was made to resist us. (Hawkes, J. (1834).
Members of the Sons of Liberty
Other notable members of the Sons of Liberty were Samuel Adams, John Adams, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, and Paul Revere.
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