No Taxation without Representation
The French and Indian War had put the British in colossal debt. They decided to tax the colonists, since the British had helped the colonists in the fight. The British also needed some way to pay for the troops that they had left in the colonies.
Without any representation (or even awareness) by the colonists, Parliament imposed several taxes on the colonists:
Sugar Act (1764)
This was to replace the Molasses Act of 1733. It reduced the import tax of foreign molasses, and kept the import tax of refined sugar high. It banned the importing or rum (which was a huge industry in New England). It also taxed foreign items like: wine, coffee, and textiles. It also prohibited the shipment of lumber to Europe, another huge industry.
Currency Act (1764)
The currency act banned any colonial paper currency and made it so all taxes had to be paid in gold or silver.
Stamp Act (1765)
The stamp act required a โstampโ on all printed material to show payment of taxes. These included: legal documents (including those for buying and selling land, goods, or slaves), academic degrees, appointments to office, newspapers, advertisements, almanacs, business licenses, playing cards, and even dice, among other things.
Quartering Act (1765)
The quartering act required local authorities to not only provide the British Army with housing and food, but also their firewood, candles, salt, and beer.ย Running short of barracks to house the troops in, they began to use inns, alehouses, boarding stables, uninhabited houses, barns, and other unoccupied buildings.