The year, 1773. The month, December. The day, 16. The Boston Tea Party would soon become an American origin story, synonymous with Boston history. Now, in the year of its 250th anniversary, many Boston establishments are honoring its legacy.
Boston Tea Party 250th anniversary celebrations
Various venues around the city will reflect upon this everlasting moment in Boston history.
Exhibit at the Old State House
Revolutionary Spaces’, a historic new exhibit just 1.3 miles from the exact place where the Boston Tea Party occurred, will have a commemorative display. Located inside the Old State House, the exhibit magnifies the impacts of “impassioned destruction” on society.
Impassioned Destruction: Politics, Vandalism, and the Boston Tea Party, explores America’s history with vandalism as a tool of protest. The exhibit will run through the end of the year at the Old State House and Old South Meeting House. Reserve your visit online.
From August 28-December 31
Boston Tea Party Reenactment at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
In 1773 it took 3 hours for colonists to throw over 45 tons of tea into the Boston Harbor. Today that would be nearly $1,000,000 worth of tea!
It would be remiss to discuss the Boston Tea Party anniversary without mentioning the museum. There, every day is a tea party.
You can reenact a colonist by tossing anchored chests of tea into the Harbor. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, floats on Griffin’s Wharf in the same spot where the Boston Tea Party occurred 250 years prior.
Or on December 16, 2023, the museum itself will host a staged reenactment for you to witness. Dozens of performers will take roleplay in the 4-act Boston Tea Party Reenactment at several historic locations:
- Act One: 90-minute presentation at Faneuil Hall (4-5:30 PM) Sold out
- Act Two: Meeting of the Body of the People at the Old South Meeting House (town hall) (6-7 PM) Free and not ticketed
- Act Three: “Huzzah” for Griffin’s Wharf (public march) (6:15-7:15 PM)
- Act Four: Boston Tea Party Anniversary Rolling Rally from 310 Washington St. (7:15 PM- 8 PM)
- Act Five: Boston Tea Party Reenactment by the Sons of Liberty at Griffin’s Wharf (8 PM) at Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
If you want to witness the portrayal, find more details on the museum’s anniversary website.
December 16, 2023
History and significance of the Boston Tea Party
On December 16, 1773, about 60 Bostonian colonists tossed 342 crates of tea overboard into the Boston Harbor in protest. Samuel Adams and John Hancock spearheaded the political opposition.
No taxation without representation.
The polarizing act occurred in opposition to the unfair taxation imposed by the British Parliament and perceived monopoly of the British East India Company.
Then known as just “the destruction of tea,” many condemned the act as violent and wasteful. It wasn’t until years later that it was referred to as the Boston Tea Party and celebrated as an American origin story.
The Boston Tea Party is marked as the beginning of the end of British rule. While Boston faced retributions for years to come like the Intolerable Acts, Bostonians persisted and eventually gained independence from British rule in 1776.