In May 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act, which instituted a tax of three cents per pound on all British tea sold in America. The act effectively granted a monopoly on the sale of tea in the American colonies to the British East India Company, which was looking to reduce its excessive stores of tea and relieve its financial burdens. To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Tea Act’s passage, James Vaughn, a historian of the British Empire at the University of Chicago, examines the developments in Britain, British North America and South Asia leading to the passage of the act, and discusses why a relatively mundane piece of parliamentary legislation renewed the imperial crisis and led to the outbreak of the American Revolution. SUBSCRIBE to our channel: https://bit.ly/3DxZnrJ Follow us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanRevo... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americanrev... Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmRevInstitute Stay updated by joining our mailing list: https://bit.ly/3TpfhdL Become an Associate of the American Revolution Institute: https://bit.ly/3Bonuqp Visit our website: www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org Learn more and explore future and past programs: www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/events #amrevinstitute