After winning the French and Indian War in 1764, the British government sought a way to pay its military expenses. Keeping a standing army in the colonies was costly. So Parliament turned to taxes.

The Stamp Act of 1765 required colonists to buy a stamp affixed to legal documents, licenses, newspapers, pamphlets -- even playing cards.

The Townshend Acts of 1767 levied taxes on popular British imports, including glass, paints, paper, and tea.

By 1770, most of the new taxes had been repealed, following colonial boycotts and protests against taxation without representation in Parliament.

Still, tensions increased and the colonists began organizing resistance. Incidents like the Boston Massacre in 1770, an attack on the British customs ship Gaspee in 1772, and the Boston Tea Party in 1773 showed which way the wind was blowing.

On April 19, 1775, Massachusetts colonists stood on Lexington Green, ready to fight.

Do you think the British government was justified in seeking to have its colonists pay military bills without allowing them a voice in Parliament?

		Yes, the Americans should have covered the costs, since the soldiers were there to protect them. Differences could have been resolved without violence.		No, the taxes should not have been assessed, since the colonists had no political voice in the government.
	Did you watch the film, "Patriots Day"? (Please vote "yes" if you watched at least half of the film.)
		Yes		No
	If yes, did it influence your answers?
		Yes		No

I do not wish to vote but would like to see the current results