Townshend+Act

= **Townshend Acts of 1767** = media type="file" key="Townshend act recording describtion.wma" width="180" height="180" align="right"

The Townshend act is the taxing of goods, such as coconuts, coffee, tea, glass, paint and lead in the British colonies. It was created by Charles Townshend. The Townshend Act started many protests because the new laws established the American Board of Customs, whose job was to stop the act of smuggling. This act could only be fulfilled by the King. This eventually led to the Boston Massacre. This was because the tension was so high that people wanted to fight against each other. Then it lead to the Massachusetts Circular Letter, which was the letter that said the colonies, should unite against the acts. Eventually Parliament revoked the taxed on everything except for tea. This showed that Parliament still had power over the British colonies.

 The Townshend Acts of 1767 were created by the Parliament for a few reasons. One being that, after the failed attempt of taxation that Britain laid upon the colonies called the Stamp Act, the colonies were left in large debt. Another reason they were in debt was because of the earlier French and Indian War. Therefore, Britain put taxes on many products including glass, paper, paint, lead and tea. Another reason the Townshend Act was created was because England started to feel the colonial legislature was gaining more power over the governor. The governor was still loyal to England even if he was in the colonies so the legislature would try to take advantage of him. When the governor did something the legislature did not approve of, they could withhold his pay. This act by the legislature was almost considered blackmailing because the governor would lose power and money. When England became aware the governor was losing power and the colonies were in debt, they then started to tax several products. This money went to the governor so primarily he could pay off the debt, but he also needed to gain power in the colonies, so that England could keep their power in America. By Katie Miller || CLICK FOR RECORDINGS media type="file" key="Why Was the Townshend Act Created.wma" width="196" height="196" ||  The colonists did not like that so many things were taxed and they started to boycott. Boycotting is when they would refuse to buy the items that were taxed. This not only stopped the money rolling in but it affected the Parliament’s decision about even creating the Townshend Acts in the first place. This resulted in the Parliament eventually untaxing goods except for tea because the they wanted to show that they still had power over the colonists to tax as they wish. The colonists were happy that most of the goods were untaxed but they were unhappy that one of the most expensive goods, was still taxed a large amount. The colonists showed England that they weren’t helpless and could fight for what they want, even if England still had balanced power over them and the colonies.  By Sophia Ortiz and Katie Miller || media type="file" key="recording for wiki page.wma" width="187" height="187" align="center" ||
 * **Why was the Townshend Act Created? **
 * =**How did the Colonists React and How their Reactions Affected Themselves? **=

=How did the Colonists Reaction Affect the British?= The British did not react well toward the Townshend Acts when the colonists were boycotting all the British imports and held riots to try and get rid of the Act. Some of the riots in Boston grew so out of hand that there were requests for naval and military assistance by Britain. It was unfair of England to just raise the tax for the sake of earning money and at one point had to un-tax most goods. Another reaction of Britian was that when the colonists got the Massachusetts House of Representatives to send a petition to the King asking for the removal of the Act, Britain was in a position to act fast. By this time, colonists were sick and tired of the English trying to tax their way through their war debt that they un-taxed all products except tea because they needed to show they still had the power to tax whenever they wanted. By: Maia Carpentieri || media type="file" key="History how the british reacted.wma" width="203" height="203" || Almost immediately after the Townshend Acts were repealed, the Boston Massacre occurred. The Boston Massacre happened on March 5, 1770, due to aggravation caused by the Townshend Acts. The Boston Massacre was a large street fight that ended with three people dead, two badly injured, and Captain Thomas Preston and his men in a jail cell. Initially, Captain Thomas Preston and seven men from his regiment showed up to help a sentry who was being harassed by a group of young men, but Captain Thomas Preston was unable to convince the men to leave the sentry alone. Captain Thomas Preston and his men then fired shots in another attempt to convince everybody to leave, but the shots hit a few of the young men. After that night, the townspeople requested that the troops be removed from their posts throughout the town, and sent back to Boston. The chaos caused by the Boston Massacre is often considered a key event leading to the American Revolution. By Kendall Newman || media type="file" key="recording what followed.wma" width="206" height="206" align="center" || goods coming in. || =BY KATIE MILLER, KENDALL NEWMAN, SOPHIA ORTIZ AND MAIA CARPENTIERI=
 * ==** What followed the Townshend Act? **==
 * [[image:Townshend_Act_pic2.jpg width="568" height="393" caption="http://www.mrnussbaum.com/history/townshendact.htm"]] || Townshend Act picture of