American History Hit The Boston Tea Party
10 snips
Dec 18, 2025 Benjamin Carp, a history professor at Brooklyn College and author of several works on the American Revolution, dives into the motivations behind the Boston Tea Party. He discusses the urgent meetings at the Old South Meeting House, the roles of key figures like Samuel Adams, and the tactical decisions made during the event. Carp sheds light on the significance of participants disguising themselves as Indigenous people and the disciplined execution of dumping 342 tea chests. The conversation reveals how this pivotal act of defiance shaped colonial sentiments against British rule.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Mass Meeting Creates Crisis Point
- The Old South Meeting House hosted thousands debating resistance to tea taxes on December 16, 1773.
- The three tea shipments at Griffin's Wharf created a legal deadline that pushed colonists toward action.
Leaders Stayed Visible, Not On Deck
- Benjamin Carp recounts prominent Sons of Liberty leading the meeting but not the physical attack.
- Leaders like John Hancock and Samuel Adams stayed conspicuously at the front to maintain plausible deniability.
Secrecy Preserved The Plan
- Participants likely had prearranged plans and disguises though details remained secret for decades.
- Historians lack firm records because conspirators kept silence for about 50 years.