The British proved victorious in the Seven Years War (1756-1763), but victory had its price "literally. The war left Britain a massive debt to overcome. Following the war, Britain's attention shifted to the American colonies; from here, they would attempt to clear their debt once and for all. Great Britain and the American colonies differed in their view of economic policies and attitudes. The British believed that Parliament "kings, lords, and commons "represented all British subjects, including those who were not allowed to vote. Americans believed they could be represented only by men who lived nearby and for whom they or their property-holding neighbors had voted for. These eleven years of disagreement significantly changed the American's view on themselves and their allegiances, which ultimately led to the organization of the First Continental Congress.
A conflict of opinions over theories of representation between Britain and the colonies sparked the beginning of the eleven years preceding the American Revolution. For much of the 1760's, Britain "prime minister, George Grenville, in particular "believed that the government's authority derived ultimately from the approval of the people. Because the colonists would be represented (a term loosely defined by Grenville) in Parliament, their approval of acts made by the British legislature was assumed "primarily measures taxing American colonists to make up for the war debt. Britain figured it was unfair to tax their natives in Europe because it was only fair that the American colonists pay a part of the cost of defending and administering the empire. In addition, Grenville realized that the revenue service in the 13 colonies was costing the British government four times as much as it collected. These new taxes, however, did not sit well with the American economy, which was already in the midst of a depression.