the american war of independence happened as a result of the tea act.
what happened as a result of the tea act?
the american war of independence
colonial merchants, some of them smugglers, played a significant role in the protests. because the tea act made legally imported tea cheaper, it threatened to put smugglers of dutch tea out of business. legitimate tea importers who had not been named as consignees by the east india company were also threatened with financial ruin by the tea act. another major concern for merchants was that the tea act gave the east india company a monopoly on the tea trade, and it was feared that this government-created monopoly might be extended in the future to include other goods.
boston tea party
news of the tea act set off a firestorm of protest in the colonies. this was not a dispute about high taxes; the price of legally imported tea was actually reduced by the tea act. protesters were instead concerned with a variety of other issues. the familiar "no taxation without representation" argument remained prominent, along with the question of the extent of parliament's authority in the colonies. some colonists worried that, by buying the cheaper tea, they would be conceding that parliament had the right to tax them. the "power of the purse" conflict was still at issue. the tea tax revenues were to be used to pay the salaries of certain royal officials, making them independent of the people. colonial smugglers played a significant role in the protests, since the tea act made legally imported tea cheaper, which threatened to put smugglers of dutch tea out of business. legitimate tea importers who had not been named as consignees by the east india company were also threatened with financial ruin by the tea act, and other merchants worried about the precedent of a government-created monopoly.
samuel adams