FTCE Subject Area Practice Test 2026 – Comprehensive Prep Guide

The Sons of Liberty were primarily formed in response to various forms of British taxation and control over the American colonies, with the Tea Act being a significant catalyst for their activities. The Tea Act of 1773 aimed to support the financially struggling British East India Company by allowing it to sell surplus tea directly to the colonies, effectively undercutting local merchants and asserting British dominance over colonial trade.

This direct threat to colonial commerce and local businessmen sparked outrage and protests organized by the Sons of Liberty, who viewed it as another example of taxation without representation. Their resistance culminated in events like the Boston Tea Party, where colonists, in defiance of the Tea Act, dumped an entire shipment of tea into Boston Harbor as a form of protest against what they considered unfair taxation and economic manipulation by the British government.

Understanding the context of this event helps clarify the role of the Sons of Liberty in the larger movement toward independence, showing how specific legislative acts such as the Tea Act served as flashpoints for colonial unrest.