I am familiar with the basics of the Boston Tea Party but there is a question I keep coming back to: To what extent was the Boston Tea Party planned in advance and if it was, how was it organized?

I have had a very hard time gaining an understanding whether or not the Boston Tea Party was an organized event (with people joining in on the spot) orchestrated by one of the many groups active in Boston or more of an impromptu reaction after hearing of Governor Hutchinson's refusal during the December 16 Old South Meeting House gathering.

Is this a question that can be answered or can it not due to the fact that the participants themselves were silent about it (some of them to their death)?

Please feel free to correct me if completely wrong about any of this. Thanks!