On December 16, 1773, the scale of tolerance fell to the lowest possible level in the colonies. Due to Britain's involvement in the French and Indian War, Britain accumulated a significant debt to the East India Company. In an attempt to reduce its debt, Britain imposed numerous tax laws on the colonies. Britain saw the colonies as the key to paying off its debt. One of the important laws imposed by Britain was the Townshend Act. This particular law imposed taxes on imported materials such as glass, lead, paint and, most importantly, tea. Tea was the most consumed beverage in the Colonies. A tax on tea angered many colonists. Colonists constantly rebelled by boycotting and smuggling materials into the colonies. The colonists felt that the Townshend Acts were the straw that broke the camel's back. The men, who felt unfairly taxed by Britain, created an organization called the Sons of Liberty. This group of men helped organize numerous rebellions and boycotts and contributed to the smuggling of duty-free imported materials. The leaders of the Sons of Liberty lead a group of two hundred colonists to the ships of the East India Company. Four hours after boarding the ships, the men had dumped more than 324 barrels of tea into Boston Harbor. This event is now known as the Boston Tea Party. At the time, the Colonists did not know that this day would lead the Colonies to the profound decision to go to war against their metropolis. The Boston Tea Party provoked British retaliation by reducing the settlers' resources, restructuring the government, and forcing refunds for goods. Following the Boston Tea Party, Britain accrued additional debts from the revolt and imposed many... middle of paper ... making it clear to most colonists that becoming independent was the right choice. more privileged. Thus, the Boston Tea Party led to the most important decision the colonists would ever make in their time. Works CitedCarp, Benjamin. Defiance of the Patriots, Boston Tea Party and the Creation of America. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2010. 192-194. PrintFindling, John and Thackeray Frank. Events that changed America in the 18th century. WestPort, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1998. 82-83. Print.Fryatt, Norma. Boston and the Tea Riots. Canada: Book Center, Inc., 1972. 96. Print. Rakove, Jack. Revolutionaries A New History of the Invention of America. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 46. Print. “Thomas Gage: Colonial America, 1721-1787.” History of the United States. Np, and Web. March 7 2011. .