The significance of the Boston Tea Party in colonial history lies in its role as a direct action protest against British taxation and control. Occurring on December 16, 1773, American colonists, frustrated by the Tea Act that granted the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales, disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. This act of defiance was a pivotal moment that escalated tensions between Britain and the colonies, leading to punitive measures known as the Coercive Acts. It fueled revolutionary sentiment and galvanized support for independence.