British Point of View

  • Britain needs the money to pay off debts to cover the new American territories one from the French and the seven-year war 1756 to 1763 we wouldn’t have the America of today without Britain winning against the French in Canada
  • England has always expected America to contribute to the cost of their own defense. As long as a French threat exists colonial leaders should recognize that Americans need to provide assistance and they should be willing to do so
  • these taxes are also used to fund salaries of colonial governors and judges to ensure their financial freedom so they may act politically independent for the colonial assemblies without worry of losing their salaries
  • many people in England cannot vote because they do not own enough land to do so but they are virtually represented by Parliament because Parliament members act in the best interest of everyone whether they vote or not just as they will act in the best interest of the colonies in the United States
  • the colonists have not been taxed as heavily as British citizens have been taxed but England needs you now we need the money and as a British citizen it is your duty to help us through this difficult time
  • the King has appointed governors in the colonies and the average colonists might go through the year without seeing a single officer of the Empire. England has allowed great latitude to the colonists and asked very little in return it’s about time the colonists start paying their fair share
  • the tax on molasses has gone down from $.03-$.01 a gallon in 1766 because the colonies said it was too high we are listening to you in doing what we can to ease your tax burden
  • the board of custom commissioners have the right to seize vessels and cargo of people who violate the sugar act if you simply paid what you were supposed to pay and duties and taxes they would not have to make the seizures unfortunately there are those among you who attempt to go around the law through legal means and we are forced to take action
  • England is attempting to keep peace you have burnt down one of our naval warships Gaspee we are not punishing a you we are simply putting together a commission in 1772 to figure out what happened
  • in an effort to save money for the colonies England has decided to pay the salaries of Superior Court judges and the governor of Massachusetts so who the colonies do not have to worry about his salary
 

American Colonies Point of View

  • the 10,000 troops stationed in the colonies have no military role because the Native American threat is very minimal and there is no need for British troops. The only reason England keeps their troops here is because they cannot afford to keep them at home because there is nothing for them to do there either so instead of making them unemployed you keep them in our colonies and until a suite have to pay for them
  • the three major taxes the sugar act of 1764 , and the quartering act of 1765 are major taxes imposed by Britain on colonial citizens with no representation on how the money will be collected or what it will be spent on
  • the British constitution guarantees that British subjects cannot be taxed without their consent in the form of representation in Parliament. As the colony has elected no members of Parliament is a violation of the British constitution
  • the customs agents are seizing our property for personal gain and the harbors of America and we have no authority to go after them legally
  • the English sent four battalions of troops and there is no disorder or resistance no mob or lawlessness so there is no use for the troops at all but England did not take them away