A series of peaceful demonstrations, especially in Boston, the colonial capital, had no echo. That led a group of discontents to form a secret society, the Sons of Liberty, who assaulted, disguised as Indians, three ships of the East India Company that had arrived from Great Britain with a large cargo of tea. It was December 16, 1773, and after capturing the crew, they threw over 342 barrels overboard with a total of 45 tons of tea, which sank irretrievably.