Boston celebrates 250th anniversary of Tea Party with reenactment
BOSTON - Boston celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Boston tea party and the beginning of the American revolution on Saturday. Thousands of people gathered here along the Boston Harbor to witness the history.
It was 250 years ago when a protest sparked the start of a new nation, and it all happened right here in Boston, Massachusetts when tea was tossed into the harbor.
The Boston Tea Party took place on December 16, 1773 as an act of defiance after the passing of the Tea Act by the British parliament granting the East India Trading Company a monopoly on Tea sales in the American colonies.
More than two centuries later, the city of Boston is commemorating the protest and celebrating its place in American history.
"This is one of of the really great reenactments and historical events in America," says Matthew Wilding the Director of Education and Interpretation at Revolutionary Spaces.
The day consisted of reenactments, history lessons, and a reminder of what protests can accomplish. Organized in part by educational programming group revolutionary spaces.
"We're going to see folks like Samuel Adams and John Hancock, talking to folks like Francis Roche about whether or not the tea can or will be unloaded on December 16, 1773 and what to do about it."
The final events of the day included a march from The Meeting House to the Boston Harbor for the moment thousands of spectators waited for patiently.
"This is a historical night 250 years. We're celebrating Boston. How exciting is that," says Boston local Gary Gregory.
And for local Boston families, with lives rooted in history the anniversary felt even more soecial.
"We had a blast, family event we planned on this for a long time because we knew it would be really exciting and the events were so well orchestrated it it was just a hoot," Gregory finished.