One British principle of government valued by the American colonists was the <u>right to pay no tax unless it was levied by their own representatives.
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No taxation without representation was one of the key demands that led the colonists to rebel against the British Government’s interference in the internal administration of America. The British Exchequer was faced with serious depletion of funds after the French and Indian wars, and thereby decided on certain measures that would help them to combat this dire situation. The British Parliament thereby decided to tax the Americans on items of daily consumption such as paper, sugar and other necessities. The decision to tax the colonists was met by severe opposition from the colonists themselves, who refused to pay the tax, citing that they would not pay any taxation without any representation in the British parliament.
Further Explanation:
Taxation without representation is not ideal governmental legislation, as any government is entitled to tax only those people on whose behalf they are entrusted with the administration of any nation. America was colonized by the Britishers, and thus, the British followed a policy of colonial exploitation by which they imposed taxation on all commodities that were considered a necessity, citing that this was a cost that the colonists had to bear on account of the wars fought on their behalf. The tax imposition sparked widespread protests and outrage, and violence erupted over the Boston massacre, thereby giving a strong response to the colonialists that American people were not to be subdued. The colonists rallied the American people by justifying the cause of ‘No taxation without representation’, a grant of representation would mean that the British Government would concede to the demands of self- government by the colonists. Finally, the British Government was forced to repeal all taxation, except the highly profitable tea tax, on the 1.2 million pounds consumed annually. The events of the Boston Tea Party and its aftermath ignited the spirit of freedom among the colonists, thereby uniting Americans in their quest for freedom from British rule, and consolidating themselves into an independent nation.
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Answer Details:
Grade: High School
Chapter: The American War of Independence
Subject: History
Keywords:
Colonization, colonists, independence, taxation, war, representation, debts, British Exchequer, taxation on necessary commodities, protests, Boston massacre, Boston Tea Party.