What caused the Boston Tea Party?

The Boston Tea Party was primarily caused by discontent with British taxation policies, specifically the Tea Act of 1773. This act granted the British East India Company the ability to sell tea directly to the colonies, effectively undercutting local merchants and asserting Britain's tight control over colonial trade. The colonies had already been experiencing a range of grievances related to taxation without representation, and the Tea Act intensified feelings of resentment toward British rule.

This discontent manifested itself in the Boston Tea Party protest, where colonists, disguised as Native Americans, dumped an entire shipment of tea into Boston Harbor as a form of resistance against what they viewed as unfair taxation. The event was significant because it symbolized the growing desire among colonists to oppose and rebel against British authority and its taxation policies, leading to increased tensions and ultimately contributing to the American Revolution.

While the other options touch on elements connected to the Boston Tea Party, such as the broader themes of independence and support for the American Revolution, they do not capture the specific immediate cause as effectively as discontent with British taxation policies.