On July 4, 1776, the 13 colonies claimed their independence from England, an event which eventually led to the formation of the United States. Each year on the fourth of July (Independence Day) Americans celebrate this historic event.

Another important historical event occurred 3 years prior to Independence Day in the U.S.-the Boston Tea Party-the destruction of shiploads of tea from England that launched the American Revolution in 1773. In the 1760s, Britain was deep in debt, so British Parliament imposed a series of taxes on American colonists to help pay those debts.

The American colonists were frustrated & angry at Britain for imposing “taxation without (Parliament) representation.” That night, a large group of men – many reportedly members of the Sons of Liberty – disguised themselves in Native American garb, boarded the docked ships & dumped 342 chests of British tea into the Boston harbor. The event was the first major act of defiance to British rule over the colonists. It showed Great Britain that Americans wouldn’t take taxation & tyranny sitting down & rallied American patriots across the 13 colonies to fight for independence.

It took nearly 3 hours for more than 100 colonists to empty the tea into Boston Harbor. The chests held more than nearly $1,000,000 of tea in today’s dollars. No one was hurt, & no property was damaged (other than the tea and a padlock) or looted during the Boston Tea Party.