Revolutionary War Tea Party Worksheet for Students

Instructions

Read each section carefully and answer the questions to the best of your ability. This worksheet will test your knowledge of the events surrounding the Boston Tea Party during the American Revolutionary period.

Part 1: Vocabulary Matching

Match the term on the left with its correct definition on the right. Write the letter of the correct definition in the blank space next to the number.

Part 2: Short Answer Questions

Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1. Why were the American colonists angry about the Tea Act, even if it made tea cheaper?

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2. Describe what happened during the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773.

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3. How did the British government respond to the Boston Tea Party?

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Part 3: True or False

Read each statement below. Circle True if the statement is correct and False if it is incorrect.

1. The colonists were protesting because the price of tea was too high.
   True / False
2. The colonists who participated in the Boston Tea Party disguised themselves as Native Americans.
   True / False
3. The Boston Tea Party involved dumping coffee into the harbor.
   True / False
4. The British government thought the Boston Tea Party was a harmless prank.
   True / False
5. The events of the Boston Tea Party helped bring the colonists closer to declaring independence from Britain.
   True / False

Answer Key

Part 1: Vocabulary Matching

1. C - Parliament
2. E - Tea Act
3. B - Sons of Liberty
4. F - Boycott
5. D - "No taxation without representation!"
6. A - Coercive Acts

Part 2: Short Answer Questions

1. Why were the American colonists angry about the Tea Act, even if it made tea cheaper?
   (Sample Answer) The colonists were angry because it was still a tax imposed by Parliament, where they had no representation. They believed it was a trick to make them accept Britain's right to tax them. It also hurt the business of colonial tea merchants.
2. Describe what happened during the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773.
   (Sample Answer) The Sons of Liberty, some disguised as Native Americans, boarded three British ships in Boston Harbor and threw 342 chests of tea into the water to protest the Tea Act.
3. How did the British government respond to the Boston Tea Party?
   (Sample Answer) The British government responded very harshly by passing the Coercive Acts (or Intolerable Acts), which closed the Port of Boston until the tea was paid for and placed Massachusetts under firm British control.

Part 3: True or False

1. False
2. True
3. False
4. False
5. True