<P> The Tea Act retained the three pence Townshend duty on tea imported to the colonies . Some members of Parliament wanted to eliminate this tax , arguing that there was no reason to provoke another colonial controversy . Former Chancellor of the Exchequer William Dowdeswell , for example , warned Lord North that the Americans would not accept the tea if the Townshend duty remained . But North did not want to give up the revenue from the Townshend tax , primarily because it was used to pay the salaries of colonial officials ; maintaining the right of taxing the Americans was a secondary concern . According to historian Benjamin Labaree , `` A stubborn Lord North had unwittingly hammered a nail in the coffin of the old British Empire . '' </P>
<P> The Tea Act retained the three pence Townshend duty on tea imported to the colonies . Some members of Parliament wanted to eliminate this tax , arguing that there was no reason to provoke another colonial controversy . Former Chancellor of the Exchequer William Dowdeswell , for example , warned Lord North that the Americans would not accept the tea if the Townshend duty remained . But North did not want to give up the revenue from the Townshend tax , primarily because it was used to pay the salaries of colonial officials ; maintaining the right of taxing the Americans was a secondary concern . According to historian Benjamin Labaree , `` A stubborn Lord North had unwittingly hammered a nail in the coffin of the old British Empire . '' </P>
how much was the tax that caused the boston tea party
how much was the tax that caused the boston tea party
three pence
three pence