In order to make up for the difference and to continue to finance their troops in the Colonies, Charles Townshend, the British Treasurer, promised he would tax the colonists. Unlike the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts created a tax on goods the colonists imported, such as paper, red and white lead, glass, paints, and tea shipped from England. In document 1, John Hancock is referring to the Townshend Acts when he states, "Taxes equally causing harm to the commercial interests of the Parent country and the colonies, are imposed upon the people without their consent." In their defense, the colonies objected to these acts because they stipulated taxation without representation, which they saw as unconstitutional.
In addition to the Townshend Acts, Parliament passed another act allowing British soldiers to be stationed in the colonist's houses. The Quartering Acts required colonies to provide provisions and barracks for British troops. If colonies did not provide shelter, authorized royal government would confiscate inns and vacant buildings for use by the army. The colonists saw this as an invasion of privacy. It also increased their budget, considering they now had to pay the expenses for the soldiers. This is one of the acts, which lead to a horrible incident in Boston, known as the Boston Massacre shown in Document 3. The Boston Massacre was really not a massacre in the sense that a lot of people were slaughtered (because only five people were killed); it was a massacre in the sense that the British government's authority was not going to be tolerated. This incident marked the beginning of the end for England and its presence in the colonies. This was a very big step in the colonist's thrive for independence. That is why the Boston Massacre is also referred to "The Shot Heard "Round The World" because although it was not a big brawl, it was the first time there was bloodshed between the British and Americans.