Which event was a significant protest against British taxation and a precursor to the American Revolution?

The Boston Tea Party was a significant protest against British taxation that occurred on December 16, 1773. This event involved American colonists, frustrated with British taxation without representation, especially the Tea Act, which granted the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies. In a bold act of defiance, colonists, disguised as Mohawk Indians, boarded British ships in Boston Harbor and threw 342 chests of tea overboard. This act symbolized colonial resistance to British control and escalated tensions between Britain and the American colonies, contributing directly to the outbreak of the American Revolution.

The First Continental Congress was more of a gathering to discuss grievances rather than a direct protest action, while the Stamp Act Congress aimed at addressing issues surrounding the Stamp Act through formal resolutions. The Declaration of Independence marked the formal assertion of independence from Britain but occurred after significant protests had already taken place. Thus, the Boston Tea Party stands out as a direct and dramatic form of protest that encapsulated the growing unrest against British policies leading up to the Revolution.