What year was the Townsend Acts?

Answer 1

The Townshend Acts were passed in 1767, and named after Charles Townshend who was in charge of the British Treasury at the time. Many British citizens were outraged over the fact that they, while remaining loyal to England, and staying in England, even after times got tough, were still required to pay taxes, while Colonists, or British citizens who had fled the country (in their eyes), weren't required to pay the same amount.

Britain had long established that colonists did not have to pay taxes due to the fact that they were establishing a new territory for England making it livable. But a few years earlier, Parliament had passed the Navigation Acts stating that all goods created in the colonies had to be sent to England. This basically meant that colonists could no longer look for the best market price of their goods, but would receive a fair price for their items in England. They knew full well that England would then look for the best market to re-sell their goods. Still feeling English in their hearts, the colonies agree to this for the good of their motherland.

The taxes were on items such as glass, paint, oil, lead, paper and tea.

Mr. Townshend, upon being accused by a member of Parliament of being afraid to levy a tax on the Americas, responded by creating a tax, and puts his own name on it. Potentially, the most devastating part of this act was something called the "writ of Assistance". This writ, basically was a law giving British customs officials on American docks, the power to search a ship's cargo without any paperwork or reasonable suspicion.

Many Americans rallied a war cry against this Act, and it's writ, and called upon American to boycott these good from Britain. Ultimately this Act repealed by Parliament, with the exception of keeping a small tax on tea...basically just to say..."We have the right to tax you if we want." This would also lead to the Boston Tea Party, when Britain removes local tea merchants from the Tea trade in America.

The true irony of all of this is that the colonists were crying foul, but in fact were paying 1/100th of what citizens in England were paying in taxes. However, the colonists, stated..."We will pay your 1/100th of tax, if we are granted representation in England's Parliament." In plain English..... The colonists wanted what the citizens of England were getting at 1/100th of the price.

Hence the colonial cry of "No Taxation without Representation".

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Answer 2

1764