The Chestertown Tea Party was a protest against British excise duties which, according to local legend, took place in May 1774 in Chestertown, Maryland, as a response to the British Tea Act. Chestertown tradition holds that, following the example of the more famous Boston Tea Party, colonial patriots boarded the brigantine Geddes in broad daylight and threw its cargo of tea into the Chester River. The event is celebrated each Memorial Day weekend with a festival and historic reenactment called the Chestertown Tea Party Festival.
Chestertown tea party occurs (tea dumped into Chester River)
The Chestertown Tea Party was a protest against British excise duties which, according to local legend, took place in May 1774 in Chestertown, Maryland, as a response to the British Tea Act.
Historical Significance
The Chestertown Tea Party was a protest against British excise duties which, according to local legend, took place in May 1774 in Chestertown, Maryland, as a response to the British Tea Act.
Events Before
Captain James Cook becomes the first person to cross the Antarctic Circle (66°33′ S)
Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer who led three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans between...
Spanish painter Francisco Goya marries Josefa Bayeu in Madrid
Spanish painter Francisco Goya marries Josefa Bayeu in Madrid
American revolution patriot Paul Revere (38) weds Rachel Walker in Boston, Massachusetts
American revolution patriot Paul Revere (38) weds Rachel Walker in Boston, Massachusetts
American seamstress Elizabeth Griscom (Betsy Ross) weds American upholster John Ross at Huggs Tavern in Gloucester City,
American seamstress Elizabeth Griscom (Betsy Ross) weds American upholster John Ross at Huggs Tavern in Gloucester City, New Jersey
Boston Tea Party incident – Sons of Liberty protesters throw tea shipments into Boston Harbor to protest the British-imp
Boston Tea Party incident – Sons of Liberty protesters throw tea shipments into Boston Harbor to protest the British-imposed Tea Act and escalating taxation without representation in the British Parliament
Events After
British Parliament declares Massachusetts Colony in rebellion
British Parliament declares Massachusetts Colony in rebellion
Patrick Henry proclaims "Give me liberty or give me death" in a speech encouraging Virginia troops to join the American
Patrick Henry proclaims "Give me liberty or give me death" in a speech encouraging Virginia troops to join the American Revolutionary War
Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott ride from Charlestown to Lexington warning "the regulars are coming out!"
Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott ride from Charlestown to Lexington warning "the regulars are coming out!" [1]
American Revolution begins in Lexington, Massachusetts, with the "Shot Heard Round the World" fired later that day in Co
American Revolution begins in Lexington, Massachusetts, with the "Shot Heard Round the World" fired later that day in Concord
Second Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, issuing paper currency for the first time
The Second Continental Congress (1775–1781) was the meeting of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that united in support of the American Revolution and Revolutionary War, which established American…
More from the 1770s
United States Declaration of Independence
The Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence, announcing the separation of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain.
politics government
US founding father Thomas Jefferson (30) marries Martha Wayles Skelton (23)
Martha Skelton Jefferson was the wife of Thomas Jefferson from 1772 until her death in 1782. She served as First Lady of Virginia during Jefferson's term as governor from 1779 to 1781.
Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"
Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"
The London Credit Exchange Company issues the first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities
The London Credit Exchange Company issues the first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on May 23, 1774?
- The Chestertown Tea Party was a protest against British excise duties which, according to local legend, took place in May 1774 in Chestertown, Maryland, as a response to the British Tea Act. Chestertown tradition holds that, following the example of the more famous Boston Tea Party, colonial patriots boarded the brigantine Geddes in broad daylight and threw its cargo of tea into the Chester River. The event is celebrated each Memorial Day weekend with a festival and historic reenactment called the Chestertown Tea Party Festival.
- Why is Chestertown tea party occurs (tea dumped into Chester River) significant?
- The Chestertown Tea Party was a protest against British excise duties which, according to local legend, took place in May 1774 in Chestertown, Maryland, as a response to the British Tea Act.