"1773" Boston Tea Party Face mask

We've had several requests for masks, and since it now appears that many establishments will require masks for several more months, we printed a limited number with our two most popular designs. And if you're not sure what this design is all about, you'll find the explanation below.

— Lee Wright  |  Founder  |  The History List  |  History Camp  |  The Pursuit of History

Reusable face mask made from a single layer of a stretchable polyester and spandex material. Covers the mouth and nose. Round openings for a comfortable fit behind the ears. Wash and dry before your first use.

The "1773" Boston Tea Party design is also available in a women's v-neck in warm grey, crewneck sweatshirt in brown, cap, as a handmade bracelet, vinyl decal, and sticker.

Shipping: Free shipping on masks.

Mission: Your purchases support our mission to engage people with local history and to support historic sites and history organizations across the country.

We've had several requests for masks, and since it now appears that many establishments will require masks for several more months, we printed a limited number with our two most popular designs. And if you're not sure what this design is all about, you'll find the explanation below.

— Lee Wright  |  Founder  |  The History List  |  History Camp  |  The Pursuit of History

The historic event behind the design

There's no name or other explanation on the shirt, which is why we labeled it "for hardcore history folks." We asked our Facebook community to explain the history behind the design: 

"The Tea Act of 1773 gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in America.

On the evening of December 16th, 1773, Bostonians, following the lead of the Sons of Liberty and disguised as Narragansett or Mohawk Indians (sources disagree), boarded three ships and destroyed 342 chests of East India Company tea, which they dumped in the harbor.

The destruction of the tea was the final straw for Parliament and led to the Intolerable Acts of 1774. These closed the port of Boston, instituted a military government, quartered troops among the population, and allowed all British officials charged with a crime to stand trial in Great Britain instead of the Colonies.

Many years later George Hewes, a 31–year–old shoemaker and participant, recalled "We then were ordered by our commander to open the hatches and take out all the chests of tea and throw them overboard. And we immediately proceeded to execute his orders, first cutting and splitting the chests with our tomahawks, so as thoroughly to expose them to the effects of the water."

Thanks to Chuck Burks, Nicole René Shults, Dennis Conley, Janet Raychouni, and Kevin Nelson for their contributions.

As Larisa commented, "Be a rebel and stump the average person."

All designs are copyrighted by The History List and the History Nerd text and design on t-shirts is a registered trademark. If you see a knock off, please let me know.