December 16
BOSTON TEA PARTY
On December 16, 1773, several hundred Boston colonists dressed as Indians.
They raided British ships and dumped their cargo of tea into the Boston Harbor.
This act became known as the Boston Tea Party.
Since the 1760s, the British government had been faced with mounting
expenses. First there was the cost of the war with the French over the lands in
America, then there was the additional cost of governing the 13 colonies.
In order to raise money to pay the expenses, the British Parliament decided to
place a tax on goods brought into the colonies.
In 1764, the Sugar Act was passed. This placed a tax on molasses. The following
year, the Stamp Act was passed. This tax was placed on all legal documents, business
forms, and even newspapers.
Besides the Sugar and Stamp Acts, the British government also wanted the
colonies to pay a tax on tea that was brought in from England.
The people of the colonies became very angry when they were forced to pay
these taxes. They argued that they shouldn’t pay taxes to a government in which
they had no voice. A famous saying throughout the colonies at the time was, “No
taxation without representation.”
After the tea was dumped into Boston Harbor, the government of England
decided that the people of Boston had to be punished. In 1774, laws were passed
that closed Boston Harbor to all trade. The law also gave Great Britain
more power in Boston and in the whole colony of Massachusetts. This was
to continue until Massachusetts paid for the destroyed tea.
The colonists refused to pay for the tea. This refusal started a war between the
colonies and Great Britain. This war led to the birth of a country known as the
United States of America.
© Remedia Publications
Daily Comp - Winter.indd 31
31
Daily Reading Activities: Winter
2/1/08 12:06:21 PM
Name
Boston Tea Party
Facts
D
E
C
E
M
B
E
R
1.
When and where was the Boston Tea Party?
2.
What was the law that placed a tax on molasses called?
3.
Name the three items that the British government wanted the colonies to
pay taxes on under the Stamp Act.
Locating the Answer
4.
Write the saying that was famous throughout the colonies.
Sequence
5.
Which of the following events happened first?
ⓐ
The Sugar Act was passed.
ⓑ
The colonists dumped tea into the Boston Harbor.
Cause and Effect
6.
Why did the British Parliament decide to place a tax on goods brought into
the American colonies?
ⓐ
It needed to raise money to pay off its expenses.
ⓑ
The colonies were not following the British laws.
ⓒ
It did not want the colonies to be a part of England anymore.
Fact or Opinion
7.
16
The colonists had absolutely no right to dump the tea in the harbor.
Inference
8.
Which of these statements is probably true?
ⓐ
The colonists were tired of drinking tea.
ⓑ
The colonists would have paid taxes if they had a say in the
British government.
ⓒ
The colonists would have paid taxes if they liked tea.
Daily Reading Activities: Winter
Daily Comp - Winter.indd 32
32
© Remedia Publications
2/1/08 12:06:21 PM
Boston Tea Party (December 16) – Answer Key
1) December 16, 1773 – Boston Harbor
2) the Sugar Act
3) legal documents, business forms, newspapers
4) “No taxation without representation.”
5) a
6) a
7) O
8) b
Performance Objective Correlations:
• Demonstrate understanding of words and ideas
• Determine the sequence
• Distinguish between fact and opinion
• Find relevant facts
• Locate the answer
• Make inferences
• Read for details
• Understand cause and effect
• Understand the meaning of words and ideas