(bright music) [Narrator] Was the American Revolution a war over taxes?

Of the 27 grievances to the King and the Declaration of Independence, taxes is mentioned only once, but the outcry wasn't about the money, it was about representation.

Taxation without representation became a well-known slogan after Massachusetts lawyer James Otis argued against taxing a population that lacked representation in the British Parliament.

In other words, the British were taxing people who had no way to say no.

Beginning in the 1760s, the British imposed a variety of tax acts, but without colonial representation in parliament, tensions rose, protests rage, and boycotts ensued, resulting in the Boston Tea Party.

Today, taxation without representation continues to be a catch catchall for the fight against tyranny and government overreach.