The primary sources of the Boston Tea Party offer a firsthand account of the events of this important historical event. These sources include newspaper articles, pamphlets, diaries and more.
The following is a list of primary sources of the Boston Tea Party:
A broadside reporting a meeting of the people of Boston at Faneuil Hall on November 29, 1773 to prevent the sale of East India Company tea
This broadside reports that a meeting took place at Faneuil Hall on November 29, 1773 after the first tea ship, the Dartmouth, arrived in Boston Harbor.
During the meeting, the attendees stated that they would do everything in their power to prevent the tea from landing and made a motion to appoint a watcher to guard and watch the ship in order to prevent the tea from being unloaded.
The author and publisher of the broadside is unknown. The broadside is in the Massachusetts Historical Society collection.
Boston Tea Party Meeting Minutes 29 – 30 November 1773
These handwritten notes are the minutes of the meeting held at Faneuil Hall on November 29-30, 1773. The minutes state much of what the previously mentioned broadside also states but with more detail such as listing the names of the men appointed to watch the ship each day.
Broadside from December 2, 1773
This broadside reports that a permit will be given by the Custom House to unload the tea ship in Boston Harbor. The broadside warns that anyone assisting in the granting of the permit or the unloading of the tea “must betray an inhuman thirst for blood” and will “accelerate confusion and Civil War.”
The author and publisher of the broadside is unknown. The broadside is in the Massachusetts Historical Society collection.
Boston Tea Party Meeting Minutes 14 – 16 December 1773
These handwritten notes are the minutes of the meeting held at Faneuil Hall on December 14 – 16, 1773. The notes haven’t been transcribed and are handwritten so they are a little difficult to read at times.
The notes detail the conversation the colonists had about what should be done with tea. It states that the colonists requested that Mr Rotch, the owner of one of the tea ships the Dartmouth, ask the customs collector and the governor to allow the ship to return to England without unloading the tea.
The notes state that Mr. Rotch made the requests but they were denied. It then states that after the request was denied, they asked Rotch if he intended to unload the tea if he legally required to do so and he stated that he did.
The notes do not mention the attendees at the meeting and doesn’t mention anything about throwing the tea into the harbor.
The meeting minutes are in the Massachusetts Historical Society collection.
John Rowe Diary Dec 16 1773:
This diary entry was written by local merchant John Rowe who owned one of the tea ships involved in the Boston Tea Party and personally witnessed the event take place.
In this short entry Rowe states that when the meeting ended that evening several conversations took place between Mr. Rotch and the colonists before a large group of people appeared at the meeting dressed as Native Americans.
Rowe said the group boarded the ships, opened the hatches, hoisted the tea out and flung it overboard.
Rowe went on to say that he was sincerely sorry for the event and believed it could have been prevented. He also reported that there were around 2,000 people present to witness the tea being thrown overboard.
The diary entry is in the Massachusetts Historical Society collection.
Tea Destroyed by Indians, Broadside, Dec 16 1773
This broadside recounts how “indians” acted bravely and destroyed the tea and then it urges “Bostonian’s Sons” to keep up their courage and defend their liberty and life.
It states that the sight of the tea sunken in Boston Harbor was a message to the king that the colonists are free and will not obey the crown.
It goes on to say that if their forefathers rose from their graves and could see them now under the thumb of British officials they would see them as slaves and would be thunder struck.
The author and publisher of the broadside is unknown. The broadside is in the Massachusetts Historical Society collection.
John Adams Diary Entry December 17-18 1773
In the two days following the Boston Tea Party, John Adams wrote about the event in his diary during which he celebrated the event and remarked on what a historic occasion it was, declaring it “the most magnificent movement of all” and stating that “This destruction of the tea is so bold, so daring, so firm, intrepid and inflexible, and it must have so important consequences, and so lasting, that I cant but consider it as an epocha in history.”
Adams goes on to wonder what the consequences will be and if the event was necessary. He states that he believes it was necessary and predicts that British officials will respond with some type of punishment such as restraining their trade, quartering troops in their homes, annulling their charter or applying more duties and taxes.
Some of these predictions actually came true which makes this diary entry an interesting preview of what was to come later in the revolution.
“Impartial Observer” article in the Boston Gazette December 20 1773
Published in the Boston Gazette on December 20, 1773, this newspaper article reports on the meeting that took place on December 16 which resulted in the Boston Tea Party.
The article describes how the attendees of the meeting asked the owner of one of the tea ships, Mr Rotch, to get clearance from the authorities to send his ship back to back to London with the tea on board.
It also states that when the authorities refused the attendees became frustrated that their efforts to “preserve the property of the East India company and return it safely to London” were denied.
The article states that the attendees were then “determined to do all in their power to save their country from the ruin which their enemies had plotted” so they boarded the ships and threw the tea overboard.
The article goes on to say that the masters and owners of the ships were pleased that the tea had been removed from their ships and that the people of Boston are congratulating each other on “this happy event.”
Article in the Pennsylvania Gazette from December 24, 1773
Published on December 24, 1773, this article describes the meeting that the Boston colonists held at the Old South Meetinghouse on December 16, 1773 that led to the Boston Tea Party.
It states that the colonists demanded that Mr. Rotch ask the customs collector and the governor for permission to return his ship back to England with the tea still on board but, when he did, his requests were denied.
The article then states that the after the requests were denied, the colonist went to Griffin’s wharf and threw the tea into the harbor.
Excerpt from Traits of the Tea Party, a memoir of George Hewes, a Tea Party participant, 1835.
Published in 1835, this memoir was written by George Hewes who was one of the last surviving members of the Boston Tea Party at the time.
In the memoir, Hewes recounts the anonymous public notices that were posted on December 14, 1773, urging the colonists to attend a meeting at the Old South Meeting-House the following day in order to prevent their “restless enemies to render ineffectual the resolutions of the body of the people…”
Hewes goes on to say that 2,000 people attended the meeting during which Mr. Rotch was asked to get clearance from the authorities to send his ship back to London with the tea still on board.
When Rotch returned to the meeting with the news that his request had been denied, Hewes said they asked him if he intended to unload the tea from his ship and replied that he did for the sake of his own security.
Hewes then recounts what he witnessed after, while also quoting some newspaper articles that he said got some of the facts wrong, and stated that John Hancock spoke and told the crowd that the governor had already made up his mind to unload the tea and that something must be done about that before midnight.
Hewes said Hancock told the crowd “let every man do what is right in their own eyes!” to which some people in the crowd cried out “Boston Harbor a tea-pot this night! Hurra for Griffin’s Wharf!”
Hewes said that many attendees at the meeting then disguised themselves as Native Americans and headed for Boston Harbor where a group of 100 to 150 men, including himself, where divided into three groups and assigned one of the three ships to board and throw the tea into the harbor.
Excerpt from Tea Leaves, an 1884 collection of letters and documents relating to the Boston Tea Party
Published in 1884, this book is a collection of letters and documents written and/or published during the time of the Boston Tea Party.
The book includes letters from British merchants to the East India Company regarding the passage of the tea act and the company’s plans to export tea to the colonies, letters from Boston officials about the meetings being held by the colonists in Boston concerning the tea and letters from colonists to colonial authorities explaining why the tea had been destroyed.
The book was published in Boston by publisher A.O. Crane in 1884.
A notice from Boston announcing the British law blocking Boston Harbor until the East India Company was compensated for its lost tea, 1774.
Published in May 12, 1774, this notice announces the Boston Port Act which effectively closed Boston Harbor until the East India Company is compensated for the tea that was destroyed.
The notice was written by the Committee of Correspondence for the towns of Rochester, Roxbury, Newton, Lexington, Brooklyn, Cambridge, Charlestown and Lynn.
If you want to learn more about the Boston Tea Party, check out this article on the best books about the Boston Tea Party.
Sources:
“Boston Tea Party.” Digital Public Library of America, dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-boston-tea-party
Great school source for children.