Party in Philadelphia: Tea, Time, and Troubles

In 1773, desperate for funds, the British government passed the controversial Tea Act. A tax on an item found in everyone’s home, on everyone’s table, was more than many colonists could bear. Protests were rampant, but no action made as big a splash as the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773. Up and down the seaboard, tea was dumped in an act of protest against the tax. In this lesson, students will examine how the lesser-known Philadelphia Tea Party unfolded and how broadsides were used to promote political positions, not only in Philadelphia but also across the colonies.