Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty were a small group of patriotic workers and tradesmen with plans of independence who formed in 1765. When the British began taxing everyday items like paper and wax with the Townshend Act, this group decided that the taxes were unfair because they were not represented in the British Parliament, and did not appreciate the restrictions on trade. Naturally, the Sons of Liberty decided to take out their frustration on the tax collectors. As tensions escalated, they began to protest. First by marching, them by burning effigies, dolls made to represent a person, and finally, by beginning riots. At one particular riot, some Sons of Liberty boarded British ships dressed as Mohawk Indians, and threw imported tea into the water. A man was even caught filling his pockets with tea and was forced to dump it back into the water. This became known as the Boston Tea party and it happened on December 16, 1773. After this, the Sons of Liberty decided to rebel against the crown, and began gathering forces for the war, calling their force the "Continental Army".