Colonial Resistance to the Tea Act of 1773
The Sons of Liberty Lead the Protests in New York
Aug 1, 2009
In 1767 Parliament passed a tax on certain imports from England to the American colonies. Duties were imposed on all glass, painters’ colors, paper, and teas. The colonists object to this, on the basis they were not represented in parliament, thus parliament had no right to tax them.
Taxation Without Representation
The unwritten British Constitution granted authority for raising taxes to Parliament. The king could not of his own impose taxes. For centuries this had been a battle between the monarch and the legislative branch, with Parliament coming out ahead. The reason: Parliament represented the people, so a tax imposed by Parliament was imposed by the people on themselves.
The American colonists argued that since they were not represented in Parliament, no tax imposed on them by the British legislative body was valid. Taxation without representation was a form of slavery, they said, since no man’s property was his own. What was to stop those who had authority over them but did not represent them, if they could take a tax of a few pence, from taking a tax of a complete property?
Parliament’s Three-fold Dilemma
The colonists believed the tax was illegal, and refused to buy goods imported from England that had this tax. So effective was this boycott over several years, that British manufacturers and shippers were hurt financially, and clamored to Parliament for relief.
The problem for Parliament was three-fold.
- British manufacturers were hurting due to the colonial boycott and insisted on having relief.
- The East India Company was failing, and Parliament felt it should not be allowed to fail.
- Parliament believed it was within its rights to impose these taxes, and thus did not want to do away with them.
So in 1770 Parliament removed the tax from everything except tea. This did little, however, to assuage the Americans, and the boycott on tea continued. In 1773 Parliament was forced to again modify the law in an attempt to break exports of tea loose.
The Sons of Liberty Took the Lead to Protest the Tea Act
Even though the tax was only on team, and as of the 1773 law went to British importers and exporters rather than to the government, it was still illegal in the American’s view. Colonials groups called the Sons of Liberty led resistance to this tax. In New York City they passed a resolution that stated their position in five parts.
- Whomever did anything to bring tea to New York while it had a duty on it was “an enemy to the liberties of America.”
- Even providing the labor required to land or cart the tea from ship to shore or warehouse made them “an enemy to the liberties of Americas.”
- Anyone who sold or purchased the tea, or facilitated the sale of tea so long as it carried the tax was “an enemy to the liberties of America.”
- Where the duties were paid made no difference. Even if the exporters in England paid the tax and added it to the price of the tea, the boycott would remain.
- Any colonial enterprise “that…shall transgress any of these resolutions, we will not deal with, or employ, or have any connection with him.”
The Sons of Liberty circulated these resolutions outside their membership, to the merchants, lawyers, and important people in New York City, and obtained many signatures. The boycott of tea by New York and other colonial cities was a key event along the road to the American Revolution.
Source:
The Annals of America, Vol. 2, pages 240-242, Encyclopedia Britannica 1968
 |
