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Anger by the colonists against the King, which existed before the Stamp Act and Quartering Act, rose to a fever pitch. The colonists held to a strong argument against England's oppression: taxation without representation. The colonists pointed out that they were not represented in British Parliament when these taxes were passed. The colonies could not elect anyone who was making these decisions. The colonists had no "say" in the matter. The British leaders responded by saying the colonists had "virtual" representation by Englishmen who were looking out for them. Nonsense, the colonists said, adequate representation was impossible because England was so far away.
Patrick Henry put this argument into words in one of his resolutions which were published in newspapers throughout the colonies: "''Resolved.'' That the taxation of the people by themselves or by persons chosen by themselves to represent them, who can only know what taxes the people are able to bear, are the easiest method of raising them, and must themselves be affected by every tax laid on the people, is the only security against a burthensome taxation and the distinguishing characteristick of British freedom, without which the ancient constitution cannot exist."
To confront the problems, nine colonies met with each other in the Stamp Act Congress in New York City in October 1765. This was the first time the colonists had come together to consider protesting. They sent a petition to the King. Later, a boycott of British goods was organized.
Colonists strongly opposed the Stamp Act’s Act's direct (internal) taxation. If the Act were not odious enough in its own right, the fact that it came during a time of weak economy threatened to injure the colonies more deeply. The outrage united colonists, for the Stamp Act affected every colony and every citizen. They shared the injury of a common grievance, and had a common cause to work towards.
In Massachusetts, Sam Adams created the Sons of Liberty during July 1765. This group strongly protested the Stamp Act and forced British-appointed stamp agent Andrew Oliver to resign.
When the Stamp Act took effect, there was no one to sell stemps stamps in the colonies. Business went on as usualand the Act was not effectively enforced.
Realizing that it had underestimated the colonies, Britain repealed the Stamp Act in 1766 but passed the Declaratory Act asserting a right by Britain to legislate for colonies in future. Public outrage decreased dramaticallybecause the Stamp Act was repealed, although even though the Sugar Act, Quartering Act, and Proclamation Line were still in effect.
In 1767, Charles Townshend replaced William Pitt as leader in the House of Commons. Pitt had been generous to the colonies, and quite popular there. But Townshend viewed America as an opportunity to increase revenue. His attempts to do this were a series of taxes called the Townshend Acts. They taxed paper, lead, paint, and tea in colonies to pay salaries of royal judges and governors. The overall effect of the Acts was to gradually take power away from the colonists. The taxes singled out New York and Massachusetts to suspend their assemblies for failing to levy taxes to house and feed British troops in their colonies. By targeting those states, the Act tried to avoid inciting the wrath of all colonies. But the rising conflict, particularly that of the Stamp Act, had begun to unify the colonies. They understood that what happened to one colony would happen to another just as easily.
