Question

What kinds of provocation caused colonists to riot or otherwise act directly even violently in defense of their interests? How did common law, enlightenment, and republican ideas shape their thinking as they took action

Answer 1

There were many things that caused them to riot, mostly the Tea Act, the Stamp Act, the Townshend Act, later the intolerable acts, and even more. The enlightenment and republican ideas that shaped their thinking were based on thinkers such as John Locke, Rousseau, or in their locale, Thomas Paine, who all believed that governments should be changed if they are bad.