'English Ships of War at Boston (Where The 'Tea-Party' Took Place) In 1768', c1930. View of the harbour in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Tea Party was a protest by the American colonists against Great Britain in which they destroyed many crates of tea on ships in Boston Harbour. The incident, which took place on 16 December 1773, has been seen as helping to spark the American Revolution. From "The World's Story, a Simple History for Boys and Girls", by Elizabeth O'Neill. [T. C. & E. C. Jack, London & Edinburgh, c1930]