For years the American colonists resisted and rebelled against increasing attempts at control by the

British government, and the government responded wth mild or conciliatory gestures until the Boston
Tea Party in I73. Parliament taxed the eolonies and interfered with their internal affairs far the first time
with the Revenue and Currency Acts of 1764. A year later they increased taxes with the Stamp Act. The
colorists' response vaned from peaceful, such as Massachusetts' call for a Stamp Act Congress, to violent
with the effigy hanging and burning af stamp distributors and destruction of their hames and offices by
mobs in March 766, Parliamenť's reluctant response was to repeal the Stamp Aet and pass the
Declaratary Act which elearly stated Pariament's night to legislate the clanies in "all cases whatsaever"
At the time, England's attempt ta impose a strong workable policy in America was hampered by
problems at home and because of the King's rapid succession af ministers. Eventually the Townshend
Acts of T767 Were passed in an attempt to regain control Boston residents attacked customs officials
and farmed a powerful bayeott that spread to other colonies. The Engish response was to dissolve the
Massachusetts legisiature and bring in troops to occupy Boston But by 70, Parliament repealed the
Townshend duties except the ane on tea, for which the minister of state, Lord Norm, explained as, "a
mark af the supremacy of Parliament and an efficient deciaration of their right to gavern the colonies.
The economy improved, the protests died down, and the colonists smuggled in Dutch tea. IN 1772
England announced that it woud pay the salaries of the superier court and governors, thereby cuting of
the colonies limited contral over them, Beginning in Massachusets, the colonies protested through
Cammittees of Correspondence Rhode Islanders burned a British ship and covicted the captain for
"llegaly' seizing what he claimed to be smuggled sugar and rum The next move by Partiament was the
Tea Act in 1773, giving the East india Company a momopaly on the American tea market Calonists
continued to boycott tea and farced the resignatian of tea agents. Eventually Bostonans boarded the tea
ships and dumped the cargo into the harbor in what became knawn as the Boston Tea Party.