This Day in History December 16,1773 The Boston Tea Party

various | December 16,2009 | various

[mdittmar]

In this photo: ORIGINAL TEA LEAVES, steeped in Boston Harbor after being dumped overboard during the Boston Tea Party of December 16th, and collected on the shores of Dorchester Neck on the morning of December 17, 1773.On loan from the collection of:Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston MA

The Complete List of Participants

The men who dumped tea into Boston Harbor were from many different backgrounds. About one-third of them were skilled artisans such as carpenters, masons and shoemakers. A much smaller number were merchants, doctors, clerks, and the like.

The occupations of all the participants are not known, but the majority were probably apprentices and common laborers, Alongside participants of English descent were men of Irish, Scottish, French, African and Portuguese origins. The Tea Party was also the work of young people.

Two-thirds of those whose ages were known were under 20, including 16 teenagers. Only nine are known to have been 40 years old or older. Most of the men were from Boston and vicinity, but some came from as far away as Worcester and Maine. Listed below are named of patriots recorded to have been involved in the Tea Party protest. Not all of the participants are known, as some carried the secret of their participation to the end of their days.

Biographies of the participants provide interesting insights into the world of people who planned and carried out the destruction of tea. With the ultimate question, who exactly planned the protest still unanswered these stories may have the clues.

From the modern day perspective the Tea Party may seem like a powerful but a largely symbolic protest. But in heated atmosphere of anti-British struggle in Boston, participation in the event that would be regarded as treason was very dangerous. To that testifies the fact that almost all patriots fled Boston shortly there after. Some of them never returned back.

In the below list, not every participant has an extended biography, but those who do provide a truly interesting read for anyone who wants to understand the mystery of the Boston Tea Party.

Francis Akeley (Eckley) Nathaniel Barber Samuel Barnard Henry Bass Joseph Bassett Edward Bates Adam Beals Jr Thomas Bolter David Bradlee Josiah Bradlee Nathaniel Bradlee Thomas Bradlee James Brewer John Brown Seth Ingersoll Browne Stephen Bruce Benjamin Burton Nicholas Campbell George Carleton Thomas Chase Nathaniel Child Benjamin Clark Jonathan Clark John Cochran Gilbert Colesworthy Gersham Collier Adam Collson James Foster Condy Daniel Coolidge Joseph Coolidge Samuel Coolidge Samuel Cooper William Cox Thomas Crafts John Crane … Crockett Obadiah Curtis Thomas Dana, Jr. Robert Davis John DeCarteret David Decker John Dickman Edward Dolbeare Samuel Dolbeare John Dyar, Jr. Joseph Eaton Joseph Eayres Eckley (see Francis Akeley) Benjamin Edes William Etheridge Samuel Fenno Samuel Foster Thomas Fracker Nathaniel Frothingham, Jr. John Fulton John Gammell Eleazer Gay Thomas Gerrish Samuel Gore Moses Grant

Nathaniel Greene Timothy Guy Samuel Hammond Peter Harrington William Haskins William Hendley George Robert Twelves Hewes John Hicks Samuel Hobbs John Hooton Elisha Horton Elijah Houghton Samuel Howard (born Hayward) Edward Compton Howe Jonathan Hunnewell Richard Hunnewell Richard Hunnewell, Jr. Thomas Hunstable Abraham Hunt Daniel Ingersoll Daniel Ingoldson Charles Jameson Robert Jameson Jared Joy David Kinnison Robert Lash Amariah Learned Joseph Lee Nathaniel Lee Amos Lincoln John Locke Matthew Loring Joseph Lovering Joseph Ludden David Lyon Thomas Machin Ebenezer MacIntosh Peter McIntosh Archibald MacNeil John Marston Martin, probably Wm. P. Thompson Maxwell John May Mead, probably John Henry Mellius Thomas Melville Aaron John Miller James Mills William Molineaux Francis Moore Thomas Moore Anthony Morse Joseph Mountfort Eliphalet Newell Joseph Nicholls Samuel Nowell Joseph Pearse Palmer Jonathan Parker Joseph Payson Samuel Peck

John Peters William Pierce Isaac Pitman Lendall Pitts Samuel Pitts Thomas Porter Henry Prentiss Nathaniel Prentiss Rev. John Prince Edward Procter Henry Purkitt Seth Putnam John Randall Joseph Reed Paul Revere Benjamin Rice Jonathan Dorby Robins Joseph Roby John Russell William Russell John Sawtelle George Sayward Edmund Sears Robert Sessions Joseph Shed Benjamin Simpson Peter Slater, Jr. Samuel Sloper Ephriam Smith Josiah Snelling Thomas Spear Samuel Sprague John Spurr James Starr Phineas Stearns Ebeneezer Stevens James Stoddard Elisha Story James Swan Abraham Tower Bartholomew Trow John Truman Benjamin Tucker Jr Thomas Urann James Watson Henry Wells Thomas Wells Josiah Wheeler John Whitehead David Williams Isaac Williams Jeremiah Williams Thomas Williams Nathaniel Willis Joshua Wyeth Thomas Young

[posterchild]

Those in the area can attend a reenactment
http://www.oldsouthmeetinghouse.org/osmh_123456789files/AnnualReenactment.aspx
sponsored in part by Salada Tea.

[Repeal The 17th]

The links on the names of the participants don’t work.
Do you perhaps remember the source for this data?
Thanks

[mdittmar]

Nope.

[I still care]

Thanks for a nice list. I am very proud of being a descendent of the Crafts family. Thomas Crafts had a brother, Edward, who was a grandfather of mine. They were both strongly involved in the Revolution. The history is fascinating.

Edward was one of Knox’s captains, fought in Bunker Hill, and his wife (this is cool) ran guns and ammo for the revolution, just like Abigail Adams in the John Adams series. After watching that series, I became convinced they probably ran in the same circles, as the description of Abigail matched what I had read about Eliot, Edward’s wife.

The Crafts fought hard for freedom, and their sons were in the War of 1812. It’s a proud heritage.

[davius]

ping

[DTogo]

Hence, my tagline.

[RicocheT]

Our present Tea Party movement in 2009 and into 2010 will be the spark of a similar revolution to get our great nation back on the track of liberty, freedom and government that is representative, not repressive.