Which ship was the first to arrive in Boston carrying tea in 1773?

The Dartmouth was the first ship to arrive in Boston carrying tea in 1773. It reached Boston Harbor in late November with a major shipment for the East India Company, setting the countdown toward the Boston Tea Party.

Dartmouth had originally carried whale oil to London and took on tea as return cargo. Under the Tea Act, the East India Company could ship tea directly to the American colonies, but colonists objected to Parliament's authority to tax them without representation. Boston's Whigs demanded that the Dartmouth leave without unloading its cargo or paying the duty.

Governor Thomas Hutchinson refused to let the ship depart. Two more tea ships, the Eleanor and Beaver, later joined it in Boston Harbor. On December 16, protesters boarded all three vessels and dumped their tea into the harbor. Dartmouth is often confused with the other two ships because all three became central to the protest, but it was the first to arrive.