The Boston Tea Party
The Party’s Over
As the day broke over Boston, tea leaves blanketed the harbor and their aroma hung in the air. No Patriots spoke of what happened last night, but the mood was joyous nonetheless. Of course the Loyalists were not happy. Governor Hutchinson called the events of December 16 the “boldest strike that has been struck in America.”
News of the tea spread across Boston, thanks to the horseback-riding heroics of Paul Revere. He was sent by the Sons of Liberty to tell as many people as possible. Revere rode all the way to New York, where he arrived on December 21, over two hundred miles. While on his way, he stopped at inns and taverns to tell the locals. Then, he rode another one hundred miles to Philadelphia.
By the end of December, the event that would become the Boston Tea Party was the hottest topic of discussion throughout all thirteen colonies.
On January 19, 1774, King George III finally received the news. It took a while to get to England because the news had to travel by ship across the Atlantic Ocean. He wasn’t very happy! He decided with Parliament to pass the Coercive Acts, which the Patriots later called the Intolerable Acts. The King hoped these acts would prevent other colonies from resisting or protesting.
The Coercive Acts shut down Boston Harbor until the East India Tea Company was repaid for the destroyed tea. That meant that only food and firewood was allowed into the port. Not even hay for feeding the horses was allowed in. The Bostonians were forced to provide housing for the thousands of British soldiers sent in to enforce the new laws. So, the many British soldiers slept in barns, taverns, and other buildings, making them unusable for the locals. And there was nowhere to complain, since town meetings were also banned.
At first, the Coercive Acts seemed to be working. But then, something unexpected happened. The people throughout the colonies rallied to save Boston. Across many different towns, colonists sent livestock, food, and supplies to Boston. Official statements from Virginia wrote, “United we stand, divided we fall.”
The leaders of the colonies knew they had to come together to figure out the next step. Each colony sent representatives to a convention to decide what to do next. The meeting was known as the First Continental Congress, taking place September 5, 1774 in Philadelphia. Fifty-six delegates from twelve colonies attended the meetings, which continued for several weeks. Only Georgia abstained from the meetings.
By the middle of October, the congress decided to boycott almost all British goods until the Intolerable Acts were repealed. They drafted a statement, called the Declaration of Colonial Rights, and sent it by ship to King George. It called for freedom from British rule.
The congress planned to meet again on May 10, 1775. They wanted to allow enough time for King George to receive their demands and to respond. Some believed an arrangement could be found between Britain and the colonies. But others, like John Hancock, were not optimistic. By November 1774, Hancock proposed calling for twelve thousand men to be ready to fight at any minute. He called them minutemen. Patriots signed up, and started to stockpile gunpowder. Many other Patriots agreed they should be prepared for war.
Although nobody officially declared it, the war was in the air. By March 1775, Patrick Henry formally announced, “The war is actually begun! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty! Or give me death.”
December 18, 1773
Today, the Dove welcomes Father and Felicity back onboard to go home to Williamsburg. They’re hoping they can make it home in time for Christmas. As they leave Boston Harbor, Felicity imagines she can see the tea leaves floating in the water.
Felicity asks Father whether there’s any hope for peace between the Patriots and the Loyalists. She’s worried for Uncle George, Aunt Charlotte, and Charles’ safety if war does indeed begin. Father says it’s right for a person to stand up for what they believe in, even if it means Charles becoming a soldier in the war. And even if the person standing up is just a young girl who attends an unusual tea party, and the next morning, still has a tea leaf tangled in her hair.
Felicity is shocked. She thought they weren’t recognized. Father silences her. They’re all sworn to secrecy.
Father pulls Felicity close. There’s trouble ahead for all the colonies. It may be many years before their family is reunited, if war does come. And Father thinks it will.