The Boston Tea Party
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All four include an image, vocabulary, comprehension questions, a follow-up reading, and teacher guidance. These English PDFs have selectable text; use the reading below for adjustable text and listening tools.
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Words to know
- protest
- show disagreement in public
- trade
- exchange goods or services
- response
- an action or answer after something happens
Protesters boarded ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. They opposed British tea policy and taxation. This was a protest, not a party with cups and cakes. Britain answered with restrictions.
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What happened? Point to a detail that supports your answer. What does the picture help you understand? What would you like to investigate next?
Follow-up: Parliament closes Boston’s port
Britain passed laws after the tea protest. One closed Boston’s port to most trade. Workers lost business. Other colonies sent help. Opponents called the laws the Intolerable Acts.
How are the two events connected or different? Their order does not prove that one caused the other.
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Check the evidence
Research source for this event ↗
Thomas Hyde Page, Boston, its environs and harbour, c. 1775. Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division. Public domain. Image source and rights ↗
Historical images, later portraits, reconstructions, and modern topic illustrations are identified in their captions. They are different kinds of evidence.
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