Tensions between the British government and the colonies were further intensified by Britain's policy of mercantilism - economic and trade absolutism by reducing imports and developing domestic production.
In addition, King George III (ruled from 1760 to 1820) imposed new taxes on the colonies to pay off debts incurred during the French and Native American War. The American colonists, accustomed to self-rule, fled because of the tyranny of the London government.
The first tax that angered the colonists was the Stamp Act of 1765, which taxed all printed matter (legal documents and newspapers). A stamp on a document printed in London indicated that the tax had been paid
. The response of the colonists, the strongest in the Boston area, was forceful and spread throughout the colonies.
Taxes are oiled with tar and sprinkled with feathers. The British Parliament withdrew that law in 1766, but tried several other ways to collect taxes from the colonists and sent new British soldiers to America to maintain order.
