the boston tea party was a demonstartion of the oppostion of colonial merchants to:

1. the high tax on tea
2. british restriction on the distribution and sale of tea
3. the high tariffs imposed by england on the colonists

I think it is 2

2 is the best choice, but it really lacks of accuracy. I am really wondering who crafted these questions, they seem to miss the point of historical events.

The Boston Tea Party was a action against the favoritism of the East India company getting favorite tax treatment from the Crown, not paying any taxes, thus undercutting the price American Tea Smugglers (read John Hancock) could sell for. So 2 is the closest to this, but you really ought to know the right answer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Tea_Party

To determine the correct answer, let's break down the options and analyze them:

1. The high tax on tea: During the time of the Boston Tea Party, the British government did impose a tax on tea called the Tea Act. This tax was seen as unfair by the colonists, but it wasn't the main reason for the Boston Tea Party. The tax was actually intended to make British tea cheaper than the smuggled Dutch tea that the colonists were buying. So, while the tax was a contributing factor, it alone wasn't the primary reason for the protest.

2. British restrictions on the distribution and sale of tea: This option is correct. The Tea Act of 1773 granted the British East India Company a monopoly on the sale of tea in the American colonies. This meant that only the British East India Company was allowed to import and sell tea in the colonies, excluding colonial merchants from the tea trade. The colonists saw this as a suppression of their economic freedom and a violation of their rights.

3. The high tariffs imposed by England on the colonists: While tariffs were an issue for the colonists, they were not the direct cause of the Boston Tea Party. The Tea Act actually lowered the tax on tea, though it did maintain taxes on other goods. The focus of the protest was specifically on the restrictions imposed on tea trade rather than high tariffs in general.

Therefore, the correct answer is option 2: the opposition of colonial merchants to British restrictions on the distribution and sale of tea.