It united the elites and the governments of the colonies to work together, but it also united the commoners. Peaceful boycotts turned into violent riots, riots turned into mass public punishment for tax collectors and British representatives. These events usually ended with a house or boat being burned down along with an official being tarred and feathered. The Stamp Act had such a violent backlash amongst colonists due to the scope of individuals it effected: tavern owners, coffee shops, businesses, and deeds all fell under the new taxes. Thus, due to the amount of people who were effected and the uniting of governments, the Stamp Act and Stamp Act congress were both the tipping points toward …show more content…
The Declaratory Act of 1766 abolished the Stamp Act due to the massive outcry from the colonies. However, it also hinted that there were more acts to come because Parliament noted that their authority was the same in the colonies as in Britain. Some colonists felt as if they have won a victory, however, many still felt cheated because of the implication that more acts would follow, which they did. A year later, Parliament passed the Townshend duties of 1767. This Townshend Acts was a series of acts that included: the Revenue Act of 1767, the Indemnity Act of 1767, the Commissioners of Customs Act of 1767, the Vice Admiralty Court Act of 1768, and the New York Restraining Act 1767. The main purpose of the Townshend duties was to raise revenue to help pay the colonial officials and keep them loyal to Britain, reiterate the idea that Parliament had the ability to tax the colonies as they saw fit, enforcing obedience with trade regulations and rid smuggling, and finally to penalize New York for not following the Quartering