Answer :
Final answer:
The Tea Act of 1773 granted the East India Company a monopoly on tea trade in the American colonies, allowing them to sell directly without middlemen. This led to widespread resentment among colonial merchants and fueled protests like the Boston Tea Party. The act intensified colonial opposition to British rule, culminating in revolutionary fervor.
Explanation:
Tea Act of 1773 and Its Impact
The Tea Act of 1773 granted the East India Company a monopoly over the importation and sale of tea in the American colonies. This act allowed the company to sell tea directly to the colonies without going through middlemen and without paying certain duties, which allowed their tea to be sold at a lower price compared to smuggled options, like that of the Dutch.
As a result, the East India Company became the only legal supplier of tea to the colonists, leading to great resentment among local merchants who felt threatened by this monopoly. This dissatisfaction ultimately fueled events like the Boston Tea Party, where colonists protested against the act by dumping tea into Boston Harbor in December 1773.
Overall, the passage of the Tea Act was a significant factor that exacerbated tensions between Britain and the American colonies, contributing to the revolutionary sentiments that followed.
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