This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Sfeldman (talk | contribs) at 05:18, 25 June 2004. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 05:18, 25 June 2004 by Sfeldman (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Townshend Acts were passed in 1767 by the British Parliament, having been proposed by Charles Townshend as Chancellor of the Exchequer just before his death. These laws placed a tax on common products, such as lead, paper, paint, glass, and tea. There was opposition to this in the British colonies of North America, using the slogan "no taxation without representation".
Smugglers avoided the taxes by importing goods without the taxes and by organising a boycott of the legitimate imports. To protect the British East India Company's trade, the tax on tea was removed in the Tea Act, and the adverse economic consequences for the smugglers led to the Boston Tea Party.
External links
- The Townshend Act: text.