This educational picture book tells the story of the Boston Tea Party through a young boy named Samuel who lives in Boston. He learns about the conflict with the English king, whose new tax on tea is considered unfair by the colonists. Samuel's father explains the core issue is "taxation without representation," as the colonists have no one to speak for them in England.
The story follows the events after three ships named the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver arrive in the harbor with the taxed tea. Angry colonists gather in the Old South Meeting House and decide to protest. To protect their families, the men disguise themselves as Mohawk warriors. Samuel watches from his window as the disguised group marches to the ships. They board the vessels and dump hundreds of wooden chests of tea into Boston Harbor. The news infuriates King George III. The book ends with Samuel and his father at the harbor, with the protest described as a brave step on the road to American freedom.