The revolt known as the Boston Tea Party was sparked by the American colonists' opposition to the Tea Act of 1773, which allowed the British East India Company to sell tea at a reduced tax rate, undermining local merchants. Colonists viewed this as another instance of "taxation without representation," a violation of their rights. In protest, on December 16, 1773, a group of colonists, disguised as Mohawk Indians, boarded British ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. This act of defiance escalated tensions between the colonies and Britain, eventually leading to the Revolutionary War.