The Boston Tea Party resulted from widespread discontent over British taxation without representation, particularly the Tea Act of 1773. American colonists, represented by the Sons of Liberty, protested taxation by dumping 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773. This act of defiance represented a turning point that galvanized resistance against British control and unified various colonies against perceived injustices. It also prompted harsh reprisals from the British government, including the Intolerable Acts, which further fueled revolutionary sentiment and contributed to the escalating conflict leading to the American Revolution.