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Realizing that it had underestimated the colonies, Britain repealed the Stamp Act in 1766 but passed the Declaratory Act asserting right to legislate for colonies in future.  Public outrage decreased dramatically, although the Sugar Act, Quartering Act, and Proclamation Line were still in effect.

Realizing that it had underestimated the colonies, Britain repealed the Stamp Act in 1766 but passed the Declaratory Act asserting right to legislate for colonies in future.  Public outrage decreased dramatically, although the Sugar Act, Quartering Act, and Proclamation Line were still in effect.

In 1767, the Townshend Act imposed more taxes.  It taxed paper, lead, paint and tea in colonies to pay salaries of royal judges and governors. The tax singled out New York and Massachusetts to suspend their assemblies for failing to levy taxes to house and feed British troops in their colonies.  By targeting those states, the Act tried to avoid inciting the wrath of all colonies.  But the rising conflict, particularly that of the Stamp Act had begun to unify the colonies.  They understood that what happened to one colony would happen to them just as easily.  Thus, under the oppression of the Townshend Act, the colonists boycotted British goods again, and once again the boycott was very effective.

In 1767, Charles Townshend replaced William Pitt as leader in the House of Commons.  Pitt had been generous to the colonies, and quite popular there.  But Townshend viewed America as an opportunity to increase revenue.  His attempts to do this were a series of taxes called the Townshend Acts.  They taxed paper, lead, paint, and tea in colonies to pay salaries of royal judges and governors. The overall effect of the Acts was to gradually take power away from the colonists. The taxes singled out New York and Massachusetts to suspend their assemblies for failing to levy taxes to house and feed British troops in their colonies.  By targeting those states, the Act tried to avoid inciting the wrath of all colonies.  But the rising conflict, particularly that of the Stamp Act, had begun to unify the colonies.  They understood that what happened to one colony would happen to another just as easily.   

 

The colonies did not react as swiftly as they did to the Stamp Act.  A primary catalyst that lead to their eventual resistance was John Dickinson's pamphlet, ''Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania''.  Johen Dickinson has been nickname the "Penman of the Revolution".  He was a great writer who drafter the "Declaration Rights" for the Stamp Act Congress, the "Olive Branch Petition", and the Articles of Confederation.  His superb insight and skill made his pamphlet enormously successful.  The piece was first published in 1767, and spread throughout the colonies as well as to Ireland, England, and France.  Dickinson was careful, however to maintain an impression of loyalty to the king.  Cleverly, he argued not from the standpoint of the colonies, but in terms of England's well being, and benefit to her.  He also admonished American's not to allow chaos break out (as occurred in the French Revolution a decade later): "The cause of ''liberty'' is a cause of too much dignity to be sullied by turbulence and tumult."

 

 

 

Next, the colonists boycotted British goods.  The boycott was very effective.  British Imports fell from 2,157,218 pounds to 1,336,122 pound between 1768 and 1769.

 

Feeling the strength of the colonies once again, Britain repealed the Townshend Acts, but the tea tax remained.

'''Debate''': should England have been able to impose direct taxes on the colonies?   

'''Debate''': should England have been able to impose direct taxes on the colonies?