In the third year after the battle of Golden Hill, the British
Government decided to make the colonists buy tea whether they wanted to
or not. So the price was put down until tea could be bought in New York
cheaper than it could be bought in England. This did no good, for though
the tea was cheap the tax was on it and it was the tax and not the price
of which the people complained. The Sons of Liberty, when they heard
that ships loaded with cheap tea were on the way from England, said they
would not even permit it to be landed. The first ship in port was under
the command of a captain named Lockyer, who, when he learned of the
strong efforts made to prevent the landing of the tea, determined to
return to England with his cargo. He anchored his ship in the bay and
came in a small boat to the city. The people, joyful over his decision,
decided to give him a public leave-taking.

Within a few days another ship sailed into the bay, commanded by Captain
Chambers, who insisted that he had no tea on board. When told that his
vessel would be searched, he admitted that he had a few chests. That
same night the citizens who had all day thronged the wharf, suddenly
swarmed aboard the vessel. The hatches were ripped up, and the eighteen
chests of tea hauled on deck. There they were torn into pieces and the
contents scattered into the river. Having done this the crowds dispersed
and all was quiet again.

Next day came the public leave-taking of Captain Lockyer. He had spent
the night at the coffee-house in Wall Street, and here, early in the
morning, there was a great assembly. The bells of the city chimed
merrily; flags floated from the houses, and the ships in the bay were
decorated with gay colors.