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 leftover Britains financialproblems unresolved. Parliament had not given up the right to revenue enhancement 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 government agency and the power of royal compoundofficials, Parliament, at Townshends request, also created the American venire of Customs Commissioners whose members would strictly enforce theNavigation Acts. Revenue raised by the new tariffs would be used to freeroyal officials from financial colony on compound assemblies, thusfurther encroaching on colonial autonomy. Once again the colonistsprotested vigorously.In December 1767, John Dickinson, a Philadelphia lawyer, print 12popular essays that reiterated the colonists denial of Parliamen ts rightto tax them and warned of a cabal by a corrupt British ministry toenslave Americans. The Sons of indecency create 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 legislative assembly sent the othercolonies a circular letter condemning the Townshend Acts and craft for aunited American resistance. British officials then ordered the adjournmentof the Massachusetts General Court if it failed to withdraw its circularletter the motor inn 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, umbrageous 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 Americanvessels. These actions heightened tensions, which exploded on June 21,1768, when customs officials seized capital of Massachusetts merchant John Hancocks sloopLiberty. Thousands of capital of Massachusettsians rioted, 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 harbor the commissioners. Thecontempt of British troops for the colonists, combined with the soldiersmoonlighting activities that deprived Boston laborers of jobs, necessarilyled 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 great colonial resentment. Thisanger was soon increase by further parliamentary legislation. Bowing tocolonial economic boycotts, Parliament, steer by the new prime m inister,Lord Frederick North, repealed the Townshend Acts in 1770 but hold the