Taxation without Representation

To pay off the war debt, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765. This law required colonists to pay a tax on paper goods like newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards.

Colonists were furious not just about the money, but about the principle. They argued that because they had no representatives in the British Parliament, Britain had no right to tax them.

This belief fueled their famous slogan: "No Taxation Without Representation." They insisted that only their own elected colonial assemblies could pass tax laws.

Colonists did not just complain; they took action. Groups like the Sons of Liberty organized to fight back against the taxes. They used intimidation tactics, such as hanging tax collectors in effigy or tarring and feathering them.

More peacefully, merchants and women organized boycotts, refusing to buy British goods.

These protests were effective. British merchants lost so much money that they convinced Parliament to repeal (cancel) the Stamp Act, proving that colonial unity could challenge British power.