Grenville persuaded Parliament to pass the Stamp Act of 1765. The act placed new duties on legal documents such as wills, diplomats, and marriage papers. All items named in the law had to carry a stamp showing that the tax had been paid.
In May 1767, Parliament reopened the debate over taxing the colonies. Parliament passed the Townshend Act, which taxed goods such as glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea. The Townshend Act also set up new ways to collect taxes like writs of assistance.
On the night of March 5,1770, a crowd gathered outside the Boston customs house. The crowd grew larger and rowdier. The soldiers panicked and fired at the crowd. When the smoke cleared, five people lay dead.
Three ships loaded with tea reached Boston harbor in late November 1773. The colonial governor insisted to unload their cargo as usual. Sam Adams sent a messenger to the governor, demanding that the ships leave the harbor, but Thomas rejected the demand. So the colonists disguised themselves as Indians and raided the cargo ships, pouring 342 chests into the Boston Harbor.
In 1774, Parliament, encouraged by King George III, acted to punish Massachusetts. Colonists called the four laws they passed the Intolerable Act because they were so harsh. The colonists had to pay for the tea they had spilt during the Boston Tea Party, forbade the colonists to hold town meetings, allowed customs officer and other officials who might be tried in Britain or Canada, and colonists would have to house the British soldiers.
In September 1774, colonial leaders called a meeting in Philadelphia. Delegates from 12 colonies gathered in what became known as the First Continental Congress. After much debate, the delegates passed a resolution backing Massachusetts in its struggle. They agreed to boycott all British goods and to stop exporting goods to Britain until Intolerable Act was repealed.
On April 8, about 700 British troops left Boston.