Sons of Liberty - a Patriot paramilitary political organization - was influential in carrying out the December 16, 1773 uprising known as the Boston Tea Party, a protest against a tea tax that resulted in more than 300 chests of British East India Company tea being dumped into Boston Harbor.
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Who Were Sons of Liberty? 

Some historians link Sons of Liberty to the Loyal Nine, a Boston political organization whose members included Benjamin Edes and Samuel Adams. While the origins are unclear, there are historical references linking the all-male organization to the port cities of Boston and New York. Membership was open but there appears to have been large numbers of tavern mongers and wharf workers among those in the secret society. 
 

What was their purpose? ‍

The Sons of Liberty underground network was established to undermine British rule in Colonial America. New York and Boston members are believed to have worked together, most likely to protest the Stamp Act of 1765 passed by the British Parliament. The group’s motto was, "No taxation without representation.”
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Who was Sons of Liberty’s leader?‍

Samuel Adams - an American statesman, political philosopher, and Founding Father of the United States - is often cited as being the founder and leader.
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How are Sons of Liberty & Boston Tea Party connected?

On the eve of the Revolution, chapters of the Sons of Liberty were formed across the Thirteen Colonies, notably New England, Virginia, and the Carolinas in addition to Boston and New York City. They orchestrated resistance movements against British rule, primarily protesting unfair taxation. Through mob rule and violence - including tarring and feathering - Sons of Liberty undermined the British, paving the way for America’s independence. The Boston Tea Party ultimately led to the Revolutionary War and the ‘shot heard round the world’ on April 19, 1775. 

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Spymaster Hercules Mulligan

One of the most notable Sons of Liberty spies was Irish-born Hercules Mulligan whose family emigrated to New York City when he was a child. Born in Coleraine, Ireland, he journeyed to New York in 1746 and was a pivotal character in the American Revolution.

Although Mulligan married the niece of a British Royal Navy Admiral, he was a staunch Patriot and friend of Alexander Hamilton - another US Founding Father - who suggested Mulligan become a spy. When war erupted in 1775, Mulligan joined a militia that stole British cannons and helped lead the Sons of Liberty in tearing down a statue of King George III in Bowling Green.

As a civilian unexposed after Washington's army retreat from New York in 1776, Mulligan soon became a crucial operative, saving Washington's life on two occasions by relaying vital intelligence. His slave, Cato, also played a significant role as a spy and courier for the Continental Army.

After the Revolutionary War, Mulligan's tailoring business thrived, and he co-founded the New York Manumission Society to promote the abolition of slavery. In 2015, Mulligan's story reached popular culture through the Broadway musical Hamilton, highlighting his friendship with Alexander Hamilton and his role as a soldier and spy during the American Revolution. Mulligan's legacy endures, a symbol of resilience, abolitionism, and heroism in the founding days of the US.