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The Townshend Acts were a series of laws passed beginning in 1767 by the Parliament of Great Britain relating to the British colonies in North America. The acts are named after Charles Townshend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who proposed the program. Historians vary slightly in which acts they include under the heading "Townshend Acts", but five laws are frequently mentioned: the Revenue Act of 1767, the Indemnity Act, the Commissioners of Customs Act, the Vice Admiralty Court Act, and the New York Restraining Act.[1]

The purpose of the Townshend Acts was to raise revenue in the colonies to pay the salaries of governors and judges so that they would be independent of colonial rule, to create a more effective means of enforcing compliance with trade regulations, to punish the province of New York for failing to comply with the 1765 Quartering Act, and to establish the precedent that the British Parliament had the right to tax the colonies.[2] The Townshend Acts were met with resistance in the colonies, prompting the occupation of Boston by British troops in 1768, which eventually resulted in the Boston Massacre of 1770.

As a result of the massacre in Boston, Parliament began to consider a motion to partially repeal the Townshend duties.[3] Most of the new taxes were repealed, but the tax on tea was retained. The British government continued in its attempt to tax the colonists without their consent, however, the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution followed.

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Why did the British leaders impose the stamp act on the colonists?

The stamp tax was simply a means of raising money, much like any other tax.


What motivated colonizing nations to impose their culture upon the colonized such as the British did in India?

The conviction that their culture was superior to that of colonized peoples.


How did the behaivior of the colonists influence the british?

The behavior of the colonists, particularly their increasing resistance to British policies and taxes, significantly influenced British decision-making. Acts of protest, like the Boston Tea Party and widespread boycotts, showcased the colonists' unity and determination to challenge British authority. This resistance prompted the British government to impose stricter measures, which ultimately escalated tensions and set the stage for the American Revolution. The colonists' actions highlighted their desire for self-governance and rights, ultimately reshaping British colonial policy.


What did the British impose taxes on?

The British taxed on paper,glass, ext.


Why were the colonists upset when the British threatened to transfer the trial of American colonists to England?

The colonists were upset about the British threat to transfer trials to England because they believed it undermined their rights as English subjects, depriving them of a fair trial by a jury of their peers. This move was seen as an attempt to circumvent local legal systems and impose British authority, fostering resentment and distrust. Additionally, the distance to England made it difficult for colonists to defend themselves adequately, further fueling their anger and desire for self-governance.

Related Questions

Why did the British parliament impose taxes on the colonists after why did the British parliament impose taxes on the colonists after 1763?

The taxes were to help pay for the French and Indian war. They reasoned that they were protecting the colonists and the colonists were English subjects so they should help pay for the war.


What Act did the British pass and impose on the Colonists after the Boston Tea Party?

Townshend Act


What put Britain in a position to impose its authority over the French, American Indian, and British colonists?

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Why did the British feel necessary to impose new taxes on the American colonists?

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Why did Britain impose the stamp acts?

The British Soldiers protected the American colonists. King George III thought the colonists should help pay the army's cost.


What problems arose from changes in british policy toward the colonies in the 1760s?

The British changed their economic and political policies towards the colonists from 1763 to 1775 because of the rebellion shown by the colonists. The British tried to impose their financial burden due to British wars on the colonists via various ways including taxes but the colonists rebelled.


Who persuaded the British Parliament to impose a tax upon paper?

King George Soros


What was the practice used by colonists to hurt British trade by refusing to import British goods or export American goods to Britain?

A practice that was used by the colonists to hurt British trade was the refusal of British goods that were imported and the export of American goods to Britain. This was in response to the taxation on goods that the British were trying to impose on the colonies.


Why did the British think they had the right to impose tighter controls and more financial obligations on the the American colonists?

because they thought they were better than everybody eles


Why did the British leaders impose the stamp act on the colonists?

The stamp tax was simply a means of raising money, much like any other tax.


What motivated colonizing nations to impose their culture upon the colonized such as the British did in India?

The conviction that their culture was superior to that of colonized peoples.


Which contributed the outbreak of the Revolutionary War?

The battlecry was "Taxation without representation". The British government imposed taxes upon the colonists; but the colonists had no say in what was taxed and by how much.