Question 1

True or false: The Boston Tea Party marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.

Accepted Answer

False. The war began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, over a year after the Boston Tea Party in December 1773.

Question 2

True or false: The Boston Tea Party was a violent protest that resulted in several injuries.

Accepted Answer

False. Despite destroying property, the Boston Tea Party was nonviolent. No injuries were reported; participants were careful not to harm anyone.

Question 3

True or false: The Boston Tea Party was a protest against high taxes on tea imposed by the British.

Accepted Answer

False. The Tea Act of 1773 actually lowered the tax on tea. The protest was against the monopoly granted to the East India Company, not high taxes.

Question 4

True or false: The Boston Tea Party destroyed 342 chests of tea, totaling over 90,000 pounds.

Accepted Answer

True. The Boston Tea Party involved 342 chests of tea, weighing about 92,000 pounds, dumped into Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773.

Question 5

True or false: The Boston Tea Party was the only colonial protest that involved destroying British property.

Accepted Answer

False. The Gaspee Affair in 1772 involved burning a British ship, and other protests also damaged property. The Boston Tea Party was not unique in that regard.

Question 6

True or false: The Boston Tea Party was preceded by a similar protest in Philadelphia where tea ships were turned away.

Accepted Answer

False. The Philadelphia tea ship Polly arrived on December 25, 1773, nine days after the Boston Tea Party, and was forced to return to England. Thus, the turning away of tea ships in Philadelphia did not precede the Boston Tea Party.

Question 7

True or false: Some tea from the Boston Tea Party was later recovered from the harbor and sold by colonists.

Accepted Answer

True. After the dumping, some colonists collected wet tea from the harbor and sold it, though many considered it contaminated. This is documented in historical accounts.

Question 8

True or false: The Boston Tea Party was originally called the Destruction of the Tea, not its later name.

Accepted Answer

True. The term 'Boston Tea Party' was not used until the 1830s; contemporary sources called it the 'Destruction of the Tea' or similar phrases.

The Boston Tea Party Trivia Questions