Analysis of Taxation During the Revolutionary War
Analysis of Taxation During the Revolutionary War
During the mid 18th century the American colonists, both bold and ambitious, were showing attitudes of indignation and resentment towards English Parliament. Aside from this, the attitudes generated were mainly the result of British violations of the rights of the new American citizens. The Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution were the direct effect of the economic and political British transgressions. Of many revolts and reactions to Parliament, the Townshend, Stamp, Sugar, and Intolerable Acts were the most significant.
The power of tax, was the power to take away land, and with this no people could call themselves free if they were taxed without consent. This statement alone was the driving force towards the American Revolution. When Parliament passed the tax on sugar, and the Stamp Act, the colonists shot back at the British in a great uproar. The colonists felt that Parliament had some right to legislate them, but no right to tax them. In revolt to this presumed tax, The Stamp Act Congress in New York went underway. Here, the limits of Parliament’s authority were discussed and the American grew closer towards revolution. Mobs and riots followed all which unified the colonists in their common cause, to gain independence from the mother country, England.
Along with the Sugar and Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts followed. Created in July of 1766, by Charles Townshend, these acts levied duties on colonial imports of lead, paper, glass and tea. These items were only legally imported from England therefore the mother country discouraged purchases from it, and encouraged the manufacturing of taxable goods in the colonies. In these set of taxes, Britain had successfully violated every view of the colonies held of Parliament’s limitation of authority. The colonists reacted once again, not violently, but with a series of newspaper letters, and groups such as the Sons of Liberty. The colonists continued to unify and move towards political independence free of taxation without representation.
The last group of regulations Parliament set upon the colonists without consent were the Intolerable Acts led by Lord North. These codes included the Tea Act of 1773, the still included tax of the Townshend Act, and The Administration of Justice Act. This Act stated that any government or customs officer indicated for murder could be tried in England, beyond the control of local juries. The Quebec Act, and the...