Which individual is credited with the leadership of the Boston Tea Party?

Samuel Adams is credited with the leadership of the Boston Tea Party due to his role as a key organizer and agitator for colonial resistance against British taxation. He was a prominent member of the Sons of Liberty, a group that opposed British rule and encouraged direct action against unfair policies imposed on the colonies. The Boston Tea Party, which occurred on December 16, 1773, was a protest against the Tea Act, and Adams played a significant role in mobilizing the colonists to participate in this act of defiance by disguising themselves as Native Americans and dumping tea into Boston Harbor as a statement against taxation without representation.

The other individuals mentioned had their own significant roles in American history, but none led the Boston Tea Party as directly as Samuel Adams. John Adams, while influential and also a founding father, was more involved in the legal and political processes than in organizing protests like the Tea Party. Thomas Paine is notable for his writings, such as "Common Sense," which inspired revolutionary thought, but he was not directly involved in the Tea Party itself. John Hancock was a key figure as well, particularly known for his bold signing of the Declaration of Independence and his role in the American Revolution, but he did not have the same level of involvement as