Table of Contents
What actions did the colonists take against the tax?
American colonists responded to the Sugar Act and the Currency Act with protest. In Massachusetts, participants in a town meeting cried out against taxation without proper representation in Parliament, and suggested some form of united protest throughout the colonies.
Why did the colonists resent having to pay those taxes?
The King and Parliament believed they had the right to tax the colonies. Many colonists felt that they should not pay these taxes, because they were passed in England by Parliament, not by their own colonial governments. They protested, saying that these taxes violated their rights as British citizens.
Why did the colonists feel that the taxes were unfair?
The English felt that the colonists should pay taxes because the English government was providing services that the colonists would otherwise have had to do without. The Americans felt the taxes were unfair because they were being imposed by a government in which the colonists had no “voice.”
What did the colonists pay in taxes during the Revolutionary War?
In drawing attention to the role of representation as a spark for revolution, they note that the average British citizen who resided in Britain paid 26 shillings per year in taxes compared to only 1 shilling per year in New England, even though the living standard of the colonists was arguably higher than that of the British.
Why did the British tax the 13 colonies?
The Currency Act of 1764 gave Britain total control of the currency in the 13 colonies. In February 1765, after only minor complaints from the colonists, the British government imposed the Stamp Tax. For British readers, it was just a slight increase in the process of balancing expenses and regulating the colonies.
What did we get wrong about taxes and the American Revolution?
What we get wrong about taxes and the American Revolution. Ultimately, the opposition of the landed gentry to the demands for representation by the American colonies pushed the colonies to rebellion and independence, but helped to delay the development of the incipient democratic movement in Britain.
Why did the colonists fight the war for independence?
But, in fact, taxes in the colonies were much lower than taxes in Britain. The central grievance of the colonists was their lack of a voice in the government that ruled them. If a little representation in Parliament could have prevented a war for independence, why did King George III not grant it?