jan 1, 1761 - Taxation Without Representation

Description:

“Taxation without representation, is tyranny!” was a political slogan that was used by the American colonists in the 1700s. James Otis, a lawyer, came up with this phrase and popularized it in the colonies. The king of England did not care if the colonists were angry because of the taxes that were imposed, instead, he and the Parliament kept on passing laws that required colonists to pay more taxes.

The Stamp Act, another law that the British passed to tax the colonists, was the last drop. The colonists started boycotting British products and refused to pay taxes; some even burned down the houses of tax collectors. Britain had to send military troops to control the colonists.

This shows that although the government at that time was not a democratic one, the colonists wanted a democratic government. The colonists did not want independence from Britain at that time, instead, they were asking Britain to respect the Bill of Rights and give them representation in the Parliament. They wanted to have power, and like in a democratic government, the people have the power.