The Boston Tea Party was one of the major events leading up to the American Revolution. The Boston Tea Party was when some of the Patriots dumped 500,000 lbs. of tea into the Boston Harbor because King George III taxed them on tea, and they were closed off to other countries that sold and traded tea. Once King George heard what had happened at the Boston Tea Party, he decided to close the Boston Harbor. The Boston Tea Party was a major event in the American Revolution.