American Revolution and Northern Southern Settlements in America ( Essay

American Revolution and Northern Southern Settlements in America ( 1600s-1700s - Essay Example Finally in 1765, the Stamp Act was passed, that required all printed materials in the colonies to have a revenue stamp on them, which would provide money to â€Å"secure, protect, and defend† the colonies. Though these laws were eventually repealed and replaced with the Townshend Acts in 1767, which placed taxes on goods that were imported to the colonies, the damage was done to relations between Britain and the colonies. Things continued to get worse for both sides. On December 16, 1773, men dressed as Mohawk Indians entered Boston Harbor and dumped all of the tea cargo on three ships. This was done in response to Britain allowing the East India Tea Company to not only gain a monopoly on tea, but also to bypass colonial wholesalers (Hamby 58). To retaliate and show their authority over the colonies, Britain passed the Coercive, or Intolerable Acts, which, among other things, closed Boston Harbor until the tea was paid for, along with rendering most local decision-making bodie s ineffective and requiring the governor to approve town meetings before they could be held. When the colonies did not quietly accept the taxes, more and more British troops were sent to the colonies.