The boston tea party was the first major act of defiance by the colonists. what were the colonists protesting?

At the Boston Tea Party, the colonists were protesting the taxes imposed by the British to the colonies.

Explanation:

The Boston Tea Party was the political protest of the people of Boston (Massachusetts, United States) against the British government at the end of 1773. It is one of the most important national events in the United States.

In order to get colonies to recognize British tax law, Parliament only allowed taxable tea exports. American protests and a boycott forced the tea-ships to return unpicked except for the Boston ship, which remained in the port waiting to be unloaded. The local general assembly ordered it to return, but the governor denied it. By law, the ship was to be dismantled by December 16, 1773, when 60 Indian-dressed Bostonians sneaked in the evening. They threw all the precious tea boxes into the sea, and the port guards and customs officers couldn't stop them. The event was an American protest against British imposed taxes. The British, for their part, viewed the events in Boston as a riot, retaliated, leading to retaliatory repression, and eventually sent troops in 1775 to defeat the plunderers, leading to years of war and the American Declaration of Independence.

powers  are  denied  to the  national governmentin three distinct ways: some  powers, such as the  power  to levy duties on exports or prohibit the freedom of religion, speech, press, or assembly, are expressly  denied  to the  national government  in the  constitution.