Why were some colonists uneasy over the Boston Tea Party?

In simplest terms, the Boston Tea Party occurred as a result of “taxation without representation”, but the cause is more complex than that. The American colonists believed Britain was unfairly taxing them to pay for expenses earned during the French and Indian War. Furthermore, colonists believed Parliament did not have the right to tax them because the American colonies were not represented in Parliament.

After the Boston Tea Party, some colonists feared that the British would fight back. Participants refused to reveal their identities, fearing they could still face civil and criminal charges as well as condemnation from elites for engaging in mob behaviour and the wanton destruction of private property.

But there was no violence and no confrontation between the Patriots, the Tories (those who remained loyal to the mother country Britain) and the British soldiers garrisoned in Boston.

The implication and impact of the Boston Tea Party was enormous ultimately leading to the sparking of the American Revolution which began in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775.

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