Tea Act
The Tea Act of 1773 was created to help East India Company that had more than 15 million pounds of unsold tea sitting in British warehouses. The Tea Act allowed the East India Company to sell their tea directly to colonists and bypassing the merchants which would lower the price of the tea. The British thought that the colonists would agree to this because they would be able to buy tea at a lower rate than it was before the Tea Act.
Parliament was surprised when the colonists protested the Tea Act. Colonial tea merchants were angry because they had been cut out of the tea trade and therefore were unable to make any money. The Sons of Liberty complained that if parliament could ruin tea merchants then they could ruin another business in the future? Even many tea drinkers who could have benefited from the decrease in price disagreed with the Tea Act.
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Parliament was surprised when the colonists protested the Tea Act. Colonial tea merchants were angry because they had been cut out of the tea trade and therefore were unable to make any money. The Sons of Liberty complained that if parliament could ruin tea merchants then they could ruin another business in the future? Even many tea drinkers who could have benefited from the decrease in price disagreed with the Tea Act.
Click the "Back" button to return to the previous page or click the "Next" button to continue on to the Video page.