The Boston Tea Party was a significant act of protest against British taxation policies and is often considered a pivotal event leading to the American Revolutionary War. On December 16, 1773, American colonists, frustrated by the Tea Act, which granted the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies, disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. This bold act of defiance escalated tensions between the colonists and Britain, ultimately contributing to the outbreak of conflict and rallying support for independence.