How did colonists respond to the imposition of the Tea Act?

Colonists responded to the imposition of the Tea Act by organizing a tea boycott as a form of protest. The Tea Act, passed by the British Parliament in 1773, aimed to help the struggling British East India Company by allowing it to sell tea directly to the colonies at a reduced rate, effectively undercutting colonial merchants. Instead of accepting this measure, which the colonists viewed as another instance of unfair taxation without representation, many chose to refuse British tea altogether. This boycott was part of a larger movement against British taxation policies.

The culmination of this resistance resulted in the Boston Tea Party, where colonists demonstrated their opposition by dumping tea into Boston Harbor. This event was pivotal in escalating tensions between Britain and the colonies, contributing to the revolutionary fervor that followed. The boycott was not just an economic protest; it was a unifying act that mobilized various colonial factions against British rule.