The event commonly referred to as the "Boston Tea Party" occurred on December 16, 1773, when American colonists protested against British taxation without representation. Disguised as Mohawk Indians, a group of colonists boarded three British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea into the water. This act of defiance against the Tea Act galvanized colonial resistance and escalated tensions between Britain and the colonies. The Boston Tea Party is remembered as a pivotal moment in the American Revolution that unified the colonies against British rule, leading to increasing demands for independence.