The Boston Tea Party occurred on December 16, 1773. This pivotal event in American colonial history involved a group of colonists, frustrated by British taxation without representation, particularly the Tea Act. Disguised as Mohawk Indians, they boarded three British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea into the water as a protest against the tax imposed by the British government. The Boston Tea Party was a critical act of defiance that escalated tensions between the colonies and Britain, ultimately leading to the American Revolution. It also inspired similar acts of civil disobedience in other colonies and represented a growing dissatisfaction with British rule.