The Townshend Act and Protest of the Colonists :: American America History

The Townshend Act and Protest of the Colonists The Townshend Acts repeal of the Stamp Act left Britains financialproblems unresolved. Parliament had not given up the right wing to tax thecolonies and in 1767, at the urging of chancellor of the Exchequer CharlesTownshend, it passed the Townshend Acts, which imposed taxes on lead,glass, tea, paint, and paper that Americans imported from Britain. In aneffort to strengthen its own empowerment and the power of royal colonialofficials, Parliament, at Townshends request, also created the AmericanBoard of Customs Commissioners whose members would strictly enforce theNavigation Acts. Revenue raised by the rude(a) tariffs would be used to freeroyal officials from financial dependence on colonial assemblies, thusfurther encroaching on colonial autonomy. Once again the colonistsprotested vigorously.In December 1767, John Dickinson, a Philadelphia lawyer, published 12popular essays that reiterated the colonists denial of Parliaments rightto t ax them and warned of a conspiracy by a baby British ministry toenslave Americans. The Sons of Liberty organized protests against customsofficials, merchants entered into nonimportation agreements, and theDaughters of Liberty advocated the nonconsumption of products, such as tea,taxed by the Townshend Acts. The Massachusetts legislature sent the othercolonies a vizor letter condemning the Townshend Acts and calling for aunited American resistance. British officials then ordered the dissolutionof the Massachusetts General Court if it failed to withdraw its postingletter the court refused, by a vote of 92 to 17, and was dismissed. Theother colonial assemblies, initially reluctant to protest the acts, nowdefiantly signed the circular letter, outraged at British interferencewith a colonial legislature.In other ways, British actions again unitedAmerican protest. The Board of Customs Commissioners extorted money fromcolonial merchants and usedflimsy excuses to justify seizing American vessels. These actions heightened tensions, which exploded on June 21,1768, when customs officials seized Boston merchant John Hancocks sloopLiberty. Thousands of Bostonians debauched, threatening the customscommissioners lives and forcing them to flee the city. When news of theLiberty riot reached London, four regiments of British army troops-some4,000 soldiers-were ordered to Boston to protect the commissioners. Thecontempt of British troops for the colonists, combined with the soldiersmoonlighting activities that deprived Boston laborers of jobs, inevitablyled to violence.In March 1770 a riot occurred between British troops and Boston citizens,who jeered and taunted the soldiers. The troops fired, killing five people.The so-called Boston Massacre aroused slap-up colonial resentment. Thisanger was soon increased by further parliamentary legislation. Bowing tocolonial economic boycotts, Parliament, guided by the new prime minister, master key Frederick North, repealed the Townshen d Acts in 1770 but retained the