Rioting was pretty common in British North America before and during the Revolution. As a quote that's circulating through social media says, "riots are the voice of the unheard." This was even more true in colonial America (and the 18th century world generally) than it is today, since the overwhelming majority of people were expressly denied the franchise.

Edward Countryman, in his brief survey The American Revolution, described how rioting was a protected right in British society: militia or local military forces were supposed to give people time and space to vent their frustrations. A half-hour was an "rule of thumb" as to how long protestors were allowed to gather and destroy, so long as they did not threaten government property.

Of course, in America riots DID frequently target government property or government officials. Besides the tarring and feather of tax collectors, the most famous riot occurred in Boston and destroyed the house of Governor Thomas Hutchison.

The legal case over the Boston Tea Party centered around the issue over whether or not the British troops fired on a lawful protest or defended themselves against an out of control riot. The defense ultimately ruled the latter was true.

During the War of Independence, rioting was employed by both civilians and soldiers. Philadelphia, home to a politically radical militia, saw perhaps the worst rioting, culminating in the Fort Wilson Riot of 1779. In this riot, the radical militia, the Philadelphia Associators, attacked the home of a suspected Loyalist. This prompted the city's moderate (and middle-class) militia, the Philadelphia Light Horse, to turn on the Associators, killing several. Moderates and the city elite quickly changed the state constitution to keep the Associators from power.

In the Continental Army, several riots broke out, usually in winter camps and usually over issues of pay and food. In the final months of the war, enlisted men rioted to protest the Army keeping them in service after a ceasefire had been declared (don't have a published source for that one, yet - I'm still working on getting that article published!)