The uprising initiated by the colonists against British tea taxation in the 18th century was the Boston Tea Party. Occurring on December 16, 1773, this act of protest involved American colonists, frustrated with British taxation without representation, boarding ships in Boston Harbor and dumping 342 chests of tea owned by the British East India Company into the water. The Boston Tea Party was a pivotal moment in the buildup to the American Revolution, symbolizing colonial resistance against British rule. The incident prompted harsh reprisals from Britain, including the Coercive Acts, further galvanizing colonial unity and resolve against British authority, ultimately leading to independence.