In response to the Tea Act, which granted the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales, colonists in Boston disguised themselves as Native Americans and dumped 342 chests of British tea into the harbor. This act of defiance led to harsh British retaliation through the Intolerable Acts.

Tensions between British soldiers and colonists erupted into violence in Boston, where British troops fired into a crowd, killing five colonists. This event fueled anti-British sentiment and was used as propaganda by colonial leaders to unite colonists against British rule.

Delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia to organize a unified resistance against British rule. The Congress marked the first time the colonies acted collectively and laid the groundwork for future rebellion by boycotting British goods and forming local militias.

These events show the progression of colonial frustration, protest, and ultimately, the drive toward independence.

In response to the Boston Tea Party, Britain enacted the Intolerable Acts, which included closing Boston Harbor and revoking Massachusetts' charter. These punitive laws were intended to reassert British control but instead united the colonies in opposition.