Final answer:
The colonists threw British tea into Boston Harbor as a protest against the Tea Act, which imposed restrictions on the tea trade and taxation without consent. This event, known as the Boston Tea Party, played a crucial role in the lead-up to the American Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The colonists chose to throw British tea into Boston Harbor as a form of protest against the Tea Act imposed by the British government. The Tea Act of 1773 required the colonists to buy tea only from the British East India Company, which threatened to put colonial merchants out of business.
The colonists believed that this act violated their rights to trade freely and taxed them without their consent. In response, they organized the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773, where they dumped around 342 chests of tea into the harbor.
This act of rebellion was a significant event leading up to the American Revolution and demonstrated the colonists' determination to resist British rule.
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