The Revolution was fought between 1775 and 1783. “The Grenville Ministry enacted three measures that aroused the distrust of all the colonies”. (p. 55) In general the colonist were not used to taxation. So while they were concerned with things like liberty, freedom, and religion; all the taxes are what stirred the final emotions that started the war. The Sugar Act which “placed duties on foreign sugar and other luxuries “(p. 55) and also re-enforced the Navigation Acts that put a stop to smuggling of goods. The Quartering Act forced Americans to supply food and lodging for all the soldiers in the New World causing the Americans even greater expenses. And the Stamp Act “provided further revenue for the expense of troops, placed a levy on most printed papers” (p. 55) all three of the Acts played a major role in the starting of the Revolution, “Taxation without representation”. (p 57)
As the colonies attempted to fight back against the new taxes with the Boston Massacre in 1770, and then again with the Boston Tea Party in 1773, they were meet with another act. The Coercive Acts of 1774, the British not only punished Boston by closing the harbor port, but also affected the other colonies because it strengthened the Quartering Act. Britain also passed the Quebec Act 1774 and these acts together were known to the Americans as “the intolerable acts”. (p. 63)
The French–Indian War ends in 1763 and because the British defended the colonies they felt the colonies should payback most if not all the cost of their defense. This is why Parliament begun passing the new taxes. This caused a fury outbreak through the colonies. The Continental Congress debated how to handle these new taxes. The leaders of the colonies blamed Parliament but “still wished to express their allegiance to the king”. (p. 63) they tried to petition the King to intercede for them and have Parliament