Loss of Business: The Tea Act gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies, bypassing the established colonial tea merchants who had built their businesses on importing and selling tea. This monopoly threatened their livelihoods and financial interests.
Economic Hardship: The Tea Act further reduced the demand for tea smuggled by colonial merchants, which was a significant source of income for them. This led to economic hardship and the potential for bankruptcy for many merchants who relied on tea as a primary commodity.
Political Implications: The Tea Act was seen as an attempt by the British government to exert more control over the colonies and undermine their economic autonomy. Colonial merchants perceived this as an infringement on their rights and a threat to their economic independence.
Patriotism and Taxation: Like many colonists, tea merchants shared a sense of patriotism and opposed the British government's taxation policies. They resented the fact that the Tea Act imposed a tax on tea without the consent of the colonial assemblies, which they viewed as an unjust and arbitrary exercise of power.
In contrast, tea drinkers, while affected by the increased price of tea, did not face the same level of direct economic hardship or political consequences as the colonial tea merchants. They could still purchase tea, albeit at a higher cost, and were less directly involved in the economic and political struggles of the tea merchants.
Therefore, the colonial tea merchants had more substantial and immediate reasons to resist the Tea Act of 1773 as it directly threatened their livelihoods, economic well-being, and political principles.