What is the consequence for adam and eve when they value knowledge over obedience?

Eve ate the fruit and nothing happened. The bible records she gave to Adam who was with her and he partook of it. Immediately their eyes were opened and they became ashamed. They died spiritually immediately - lost the ability to be in God's presence. It would take them 900 years to die physically, but not long before one of their children died physically.
The tree was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It wasn't the tree of knowledge. Up to this point they only knew good and had no knowledge of evil. The inference was that this was all they needed to live safe in the garden.
They had been given authority over "every creeping thing " in the garden and so they had authority to deal with the snake. It appears the ultimate authority rested with Adam because when Eve ate nothing is recorded as happening. However when Adam ate then they fell from the position they had. Adam could have stopped it by not eating.
The act of obeying the invitation of the outlaw snake placed the authority Adam held below the authority of the snake/serpent/satan. Adam and Eve now had knowledge of both good and evil, but with no control over the evil. Evil entered their life.

The american colonists strongly opposed the tax laws imposed by the british government. the american colonists were angered by the presence of british soldiers who had found employment in america