Three ships took part in the Boston Tea Party in December 1773.
The ships were Dartmouth, Eleanor, and Beaver. Protesters boarded the vessels in Boston Harbor on the night of December 16, 1773, and dumped East India Company tea into the water.
The protest opposed the Tea Act and the political principle that Parliament could impose taxation without colonial consent. Participants included members of the Sons of Liberty, and many disguised themselves to conceal their identities.
Historical sources differ over the exact amount of tea destroyed. Traditional accounts cite 342 chests, while surviving shipping records can support a total of 340. The number of ships is much less disputed: three vessels carried the tea involved in the protest.