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destruction of the tea in the boston harbor

Destruction of tea in Boston Harbor, December 16, 1773. Cobb, Darius, 1901. Boston Public Library.

Participants in the Boston Tea Party

December 16th, 1773

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It is estimated that hundreds took part in the Boston Tea Party. For fear of punishment, many participants of the Boston Tea Party remained anonymous for many years after the event. To date it is known that 116 people are documented to have participated. Not all of the participants of the Boston Tea Party are known; many carried the secret of their participation to their graves. The participants were made up of males from all walks of colonial society. Many were from Boston or the surrounding area, but some participants are documented to have come from as far away as Worcester in central Massachusetts and Maine. The vast majority was of English descent, but men of Irish, Scottish, French, Portuguese, and African ancestry were documented to have also participated. The participants were of all ages, but the majority of the documented participants was under the age of forty. Sixteen participants were teenagers, and only nine men were above the age of forty. Many of the Boston Tea Party participants fled Boston immediately after the destruction of the tea to avoid arrest. Thousands witnessed the event, and the implication and impact of this action were enormous ultimately leading to the start of the American Revolution.

descendants of the boston tea party

Boston Tea Party Descendants Program

In partnership with the New England Historic Genealogical Society.

boston tea party participant grave plaque

Grave Marker Commemorations

Honoring all who took part in the 1773 Destruction of the Tea.

Boston Tea Party Participants

Click on the participant name for a brief bio.

  • Edward Bates
  • George Carleton
  • Nathaniel Child
  • William Cox
  • Thomas Dana Jr
  • John Decarteret
  • David Decker
  • John Dickman
  • Edward Dolbeare
  • John Dyar Jr
  • Joseph Eayres
  • Thomas Gerrish
  • Timothy Guy
  • Peter Harrington
  • William Haskins
  • William Hendly
  • Elijah Houghton
  • Daniel Ingoldson
  • Robert Jameson
  • Jared Joy
  • Robert Lash
  • Amariah Learned
  • Nathaniel Lee
  • David Lyon
  • Peter Macintosh
  • Henry Mellius
  • James Mills
  • Francis Moore
  • Samuel Nowell
  • Nathaniel Prentiss
  • Seth Putnam
  • Joseph Reed
  • Jonathan Dorby Robins
  • George Sayward
  • Samuel Sloper
  • Ephriam Smith
  • John Truman
  • Isaac Williams
Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum Profile Picture

Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

This page was developed with the help of one of our great cast members here at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum®.

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