Tea Acts

The Tea Acts were laws passed by Britain in the 1770s to help the struggling British East India Company by allowing it to sell tea directly to American colonists without paying certain taxes, making the tea cheaper. Although it reduced the price, many colonists saw it as a way for Britain to enforce taxes without their consent, violating their rights. This led to protests like the Boston Tea Party, where colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor, feeling their autonomy was being ignored. The Tea Acts heightened tensions that contributed to the American Revolution.