Dear John,

This Saturday will mark the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, when on December 16, 1773, angry colonists threw thousands of pounds of tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Townshend Acts.

To help you commemorate the event, we developed a short, ready-to-implement cartoon analysis activity. Through the use of a graphic organizer, students will explore the sentiments and sympathies of the time, as well as the outcomes of that event.

For more background or further study, students can also explore our scholar-written essay on this the topic from our free U.S. History textbook, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Extension Activity: Watch our brand new YouTube video about the Boston Tea Party. In the video, BRI's Tony Williams and Josh Schmidt explore the long-term impacts of Intolerable Acts and how they pave the way for the Declaration of Independence. 

Featured Program