01x03 - Party Time

[bunniefuu]

Okay, here's the plan.

We're going to have 30 men

Aboard each ship.

Molineux, you're gonna be
in charge of the beaver.

Revere, you the Dartmouth.

The tea is stored in the hold.

What you need to do is get
your men onto the ship

And throw it overboard.

If we approach after dark,

We can climb the bow,

Thin out across the deck.

It's not gonna work
for the Dartmouth.

It's too close to the guardhouse.

We'd have to find a slip or...

Even if we manage to get
on the ship undetected...

We will.

We will.

And if they manage to
throw all of the tea

Into the harbour...

Enough of your ifs, Doc.

This plan will work.

And I want it to
work as much as you

But even if they threw all
of the tea into the harbour,

How do we know that the British

Won't come directly after us?

Because they won't.

Damn it, can you just
be straight with us?

Jesus.

They won't because
we won't be there.

With just nine days to
go before the deadline,

Samuel Adams is planning a
heist unlike any other;

A simultaneous night time raid

On the tea ships
in Boston harbour.

The men will sneak on board,

Dump the tea,

And do it before the British
have a chance to react.

At least that's the plan.

If they succeed, the
tea will be ruined.

Governor Hutchinson
will be humiliated

And the Sons of Liberty will
send a powerful message

To the British parliament
and king George III.

The message, no taxation
without representation.

If they fail,

The governor will order the
redcoats aboard the tea ships,

Seize the tea by force,

And make the tea act a reality,

And deal a devastating
blow to the patriot cause.

With the December 16th
deadline looming,

Governor Hutchinson
will soon be able

To seize the tea by force.

Knowing this,

The Sons of Liberty lay the
groundwork for what's to come.

Just the man I wanted to see.

In order to work,
the plan requires

No fewer than 90 able-bodied men.

But they can't just enlist anyone.

Dumping the tea is a big job,

And it requires people who
know something about ships.

I'm organising a
group of patriots.

Paul Revere heads
down to the docks,

Enlisting known patriots,

And letting them know
the rendezvous point

For the coming night.

The operation is so secretive

That most of these
young men's names

Are unknown to us even today.

Of course, no one wanted
to talk about it.

There were no records in terms
of who participated in it.

Hope to see you there.

So it has just gone
down in history

As kind of a mystery about
who exactly was involved.

While men are recruited
to raid the ships,

Dr Warren prepares an alibi

Calling for an urgent rally in
the old south meeting house

Where Samuel Adams
and John Hancock

Will be seen by
numerous witnesses.

Having deniability is essential.

Because without it,

They would face
charges of treason,

A hanging offence.

This is a town of
only 16,000 people.

Everybody knows what
everyone is doing

At any time in Boston.

It was meant to be
clear to everyone

That these leading
political figures

Were not directly involved.

Understanding that
the Sons of Liberty

Must be preparing something,

Governor Hutchinson
readies Admiral Montagu,

The commander of the British
naval forces in Boston,

To be on alert.

Admiral Montagu,
as a military man,

As a British naval officer,

He doesn't want to provoke a w*r

With people who are also
part of the British empire.

So with his orders
from the governor,

Montagu prepares the British navy

For some possible
trouble at the docks.

But he does it with strict
adherence to British law.

I want regular foot patrols

Across the docks
throughout the night.

And train every available
cannon on the east wall

Of castle William
upon the harbour.

- That's all.
- Yes, sir.

If you need to contact
me for any reason,

I'll be at dinner.

Unless it absolutely
warrants an interruption.

Yes, sir.

While Montagu is ready
to stop the ships

From leaving with the tea,

His hands are tied if they
stay docked in the harbour.

The ship itself is
private property.

This cargo is private property.

There are all sorts of
elaborate rules and laws

About how the government is
supposed to keep its hands off

British subjects' property.

Despite every effort taken,

John Hancock must
reassure Samuel Adams.

Everyone knows where to meet?

Yes, Paul's shop.

Sam, we've been over
this a hundred times.

I know.

But we cannot afford to have
one piece out of place.

Can we trust these men to
keep their mouth shut?

Molineux hand-picked most of them.

I should hope they
wouldn't cross him.

Good point.

Now we just have to hope
for a good turnout.

I'm already hearing
talk in the streets.

What is it?

The third ship's arrived.

With the arrival of the Eleanor,

The urgency is overwhelming.

The moment to act has arrived.

Both sides know that tonight
will be the deciding moment.

This real turning
point, December 17th,

Is the day, the 20th day.

The ships have to
have left by then.

So we know at midnight of
the 16th is the big moment.

With less than 24 hours left

Before the deadline of
the Dartmouth passes,

The Sons of Liberty put
their plan into action.

First, the men start to gather
in Revere's silversmith shop.

Thirty minutes till sunset, men.

Prepare yourselves.

Next, Samuel Adams,

John Hancock and Dr. Warren

Take their place at the town hall.

Samuel Adams and a number of other

Important political leaders

Were at the head of this meeting

At the old south meeting house.

While the people of Boston

Gathered to hear
Samuel Adams speak,

With the crowd's attention,

He makes one last
play at diplomacy.

One that's sure to get the
governor's attention.

You, join me.

I want you to meet the
owner of the Dartmouth,

One of the ships

That has brought English
tea into Boston harbour.

But as a dedicated patriot,

He has refused to unload that tea

And allow it into our city.

Well done. Well done.

We have petitioned
governor Hutchinson

To send his tea back to England.

We've demanded his
tea agents resign.

The answer

Has been silence,

Dismissal

And disrespect.

They have underestimated
our resolve.

Tonight, our friend will go

To governor Hutchinson
with one last appeal.

He will inform the governor

That the people of Boston
want no part of this tea,

And its tyrannical taxes
its leaves are laced with.

- Go for it. Go for it.
- Yes.

And that this is his last chance

To do the right and
honourable thing

And send it back to England.

Yes. Send it back.

Send it back.

Send it back.

Send it back.

According to Adams,

Governor Hutchinson had the power

To issue a warrant to
let the ship sail.

They send Francis Rotch,
the ship owner,

Out to Milton, where
governor Hutchinson is.

Send it back.

Send it back.

- You can do this.
- Send it back.

Send it back.

Send it back.

Send it back.

Send it back.

While Francis Rotch petitions

The governor one last time,

The men prepare to raid the ships.

To conceal their identities,

The Sons of Liberty
dress in disguise,

Taking inspiration from
native American tribes.

They'll never see it coming.

Now why did they choose Indians?

We don't actually know
one way or another.

It could have been
that they thought

Of an Indian disguise
as fearsome, right?

And so it would intimidate people.

It could be that they thought,

Oh, native Americans have resisted

The British empire
in various ways.

It was a distraction.

It's hard to identify
a bunch of guys

Disguised as Mohawk Indians.

So if, you know, you get
asked by the authorities,

You know, "who did this?"

Well, you're gonna
be describing them

As native Americans, right?

It's a perfect disguise.

Do we want liberty?

Yes. And our freedom.

Do we want tyranny?

No. Down with the crown.

As the Sons of Liberty

Wait for the signal to move out,

Rotch returns from the
governor's mansion.

Francis Rotch was a merchant.

He tended to trim his sails to
adjust his political stance

To whatever was best for himself.

He was trying to play both sides.

Tell us, sir,

Has the governor
come to his senses

And agreed to our terms?

No, sir.

No. No.

Down with the governor.

He has not.

No. Down with the governor.

Francis Rotch came back and said,

"I have talked to
the governor again.

He would not, he still
won't compromise."

My friend, I want to thank you

For doing your patriotic duty.

And it should be clear to us now

That the governor has
no interest in serving

The people of the
Massachusetts colony.

So I'm afraid

This meeting can do no
more good for our country.

Adam's words are chosen carefully.

They're words that will launch
what will become known as

The Boston tea party.

According to witnesses,
at that moment,

There was a yell outside,

And some young men started
to leave the meeting.

Let's go, people. Let's go.

We know that at that moment,

There's a w*r whoop
from the balcony,

A w*r whoop from out
from the street.

We are ready.

We are ready.

We're ready.

We're ready.

We're ready.

We're ready.

It's not just the town of Boston

That has its eyes on Samuel Adams.

He knows that all 13 colonies
are paying attention.

Adams wants to show
his fellow Americans

That the Sons of Liberty have
tried everything they can

To avoid drastic measures.

With only hours before
the midnight deadline,

Adams stood before a crowd
at the Boston town hall

And said, "I'm afraid this meeting

Can do no more good
for our country."

Well that might sound
like the words

Of a defeated politician,

He was really speaking in code.

It was a prearranged cue

For the Sons of Liberty
to spring into action.

Suddenly dozens of patriots

Who've been waiting
for this signal

Make their way to the docks

And converge on the tea ships.

Upon receiving the signal,

The Sons of Liberty sneak
through the streets of Boston,

Down to the harbour.

As the patriots close in,

Admiral Montagu has
ordered the navy

To prevent the ships from
leaving the harbour.

He believes that's the most
likely move on the tea.

Confident the situation
is under control,

He attends a dinner party.

I must say, Mr. Fuller,
seeing you here

With your lovely wife reminds me

How much I miss my
Sophia all the more.

I'm sure she misses
you too, Admiral.

The nature of a life in the navy.

While Montagu is enjoying
the dinner party,

The Sons of Liberty split up

And separately board
each of the ships.

There were three groups.

There was somebody designated
to be in charge of each ship.

It was a very controlled event.

The men went aboard in
very disciplined fashion.

Part of this plan was make sure

To destroy no other property

And to leave no tea behind.

They're trying to send
a really specific

Clear political signal
to British authorities

Because they wanted to
distinguish their actions

From an undisciplined mob riot.

Fan out.

Search the deck.

Search every crate.

Have you found anything?

Anything?

Where is the tea?

While the Sons of Liberty struggle

To find the tea
chests on the beaver,

They're having better luck

Aboard the Dartmouth
and the Eleanor.

They're going about their
job as longshoremen,

Which many of them probably were,

Knowing how to tie lines

And to, well you
know, hoist tackle,

And then to cut open
a chest of tea.

These guys know what they're doing

And are able to do it
quite effectively.

Let's have ourselves a
talk with the captain.

What have we here?

No need a worry, captain.

No one here is gonna hurt you

So long as you tell
us where the tea is.

My dear, sir,

I am not going to ask you again.

Well, you leave me no choice.

- It's on the deck.
- I checked the deck.

Marked

Madeira wine.

You made the right choice.

With all the tea crates located,

The Sons of Liberty prepare
to throw every leaf overboard

While Samuel Adams continues

To keep the public's eyes on him.

We must act now.

We must act now.

The time has come for
us to have our say.

Do we want to continue
lining the pockets of men

Who don't represent our interests?

No. No.

Of course not.

The question is, what are
we willing to do about it?

So as these men destroy the tea,

Samuel Adams, John Hancock,

The real leaders of this
are making speeches.

When governor Hutchinson
wants to start

Arresting people for this,

These people will be
at the top of the list

Because he knows they must
have been organising this.

But no, no, we were at
old south meeting house.

We don't know what was
happening down on the wharf.

Crate by crate, the
Sons of Liberty

Dumped every leaf of
tea into the harbour.

Being a longshoreman
is dangerous anyway.

And here you're also doing
something that is ill*gal.

They're trying to get this
done as quickly as they can

So that if the
governor does call out

A militia to try to arrest them,

Or Admiral Montagu sends
a squad to arrest them,

They want to be done
before that can happen.

With the two boys grown
and serving His Majesty,

She is at home with just
our daughter for company.

I do worry.

Well, not all husbands would.

She's very lucky.

Well, I do hope you
meet her someday

And tell her just that.

If you'll excuse me.

- Yes?
- Admiral,

There's been some
activity at the docks.

Aboard the beaver
and the Dartmouth.

I see.

Did the ship leave the docks?

No, sir.

No need for action at this time.

If the ship does leave
the dock, let me know.

Until then, I'll
return to my guests.

Where was I?

Apologies, just a little...

in keeping with British naval law,

Admiral Montagu has
no power to intervene

Unless the ships try
to depart the harbour.

Admiral Montagu
doesn't do anything.

Montagu didn't want
to start a w*r.

They're doing this
very peacefully.

There's no destruction of lives.

Certainly no attack
on the British navy,

These are American ships.

Without someone calling him out

And asking him to intervene,

You know he's not meant
to be a policeman, right?

He is, you know, he
can only be called

When it's a military situation.

And no one bothers to do that.

That's it.

Sweep up.

In less than three hours,

All 342 chests of English tea

Are dumped into Boston harbour.

They were very careful not to
damage the ships themselves

So that nobody could complain

That any property had been
damaged beyond repair,

Any property had been
lost except the tea.

With the tea destroyed,

The Sons of Liberty
have succeeded.

Cheers to that.

The Boston tea party
will come to be known

As one of the greatest acts of
protest in American history.

The Boston tea party has
come to be remembered

As an act of civil disobedience.

It's an act of
property destruction,

But it's fundamentally
peaceful in some ways,

In its protest against
an unjust law.

What Americans love
about the story

Of the Boston tea party
and of the revolution

Is that it's the story
of a group of people

Who did their utmost to
preserve the liberties

That they held most dear.

Admiral Montagu.

Governor.

I apologise for
keeping you waiting.

This is rather an early hour
and James had to awaken me.

Governor, I apologise but
the matter is serious.

I'll keep this brief.

The situation at the harbour
is worse than we thought.

The regiment from castle William
has arrived at the docks.

So what could possibly
be the problem?

The tea is no longer in the ships.

Well, where is it then?

Find it and have it seized.

It is at the bottom
of the harbour.

So seizing it is not an
option we can choose.

I'm having trouble understanding.

How...

The ships were raided
during the night.

A g*ng of men dressed as Mohawk
Indians boarded the ships,

Located the tea

And dumped every last
leaf into the harbour.

Governor, we have to
do something about...

James.

Hutchinson is shocked
when he discovers

The tea on the ships has been
so thoroughly destroyed.

He had not imagined that the
radicals would go so far

As to destroy so much
private property

In order to specifically
defy his administration.

Do you think you
know who did this?

Oh I do, Admiral.

Mark my words,

They will pay.

They will pay.

The news of the Boston tea party

Spreads like wildfire
through the colonies.

When the news reaches London,

King George III is outraged

And decides to make an
example of Massachusetts

For thwarting his rule.

And that, my friends, is how
revolutions take shape,

As we'll see in the conclusion

Of "liberty or death:

Boston tea party."