Colonial Opposition

Colonial Opposition from 1768 to 1775

Between 1768 and 1775, tensions increased between the colonies and Great Britain, as the colonial opposition to British rule began to spread. The taxes and acts enforced by the Parliament of Great Britain angered many colonists who then sought out different methods of resistance. The Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Townsend Duties, and Tea Act were some of the British taxes that had begun to fuel controversy in the colonies. The British used taxing to ultimately add to the wealth of their nation and further expand their empire. However, these newly enforced taxes had only caused more dissension and acts of rebellion such as continued smuggling, the formation of vigilant groups, and the ban on importation and exportation of goods between Britain to the Colonies. These beginning stages of opposition to British rule set the stage for the next 7 years, during which the relations across the atlantic proceeded to deteriorate and colonist sought means for change.

Thomas Hutchinson, the colony of Massachusetts’ lieutenant governor and chief justice, served during this period of hostile opposition in the colonies. During the 1760’s, when Massachusetts particularly was in the middle of what is known as “the Imperial Crisis”, he wrote to Great Britain detailing the severity of the protests he was currently handling. In his letter, Hutchinson speaks of the validity of the protests that are occurring, and proclaims his worry in further assigning soldiers unable to fit in the barracks, to the homes of enraged colonists. Hutchinson states, “This is most certainly a crisis. I really wish that there may not have been the least degree of severity beyond what is absolutely necessary to maintain.” (Hutchinson, 6.2) In this quote by Hutchinson, readers are made aware of his concern with the colonial opposition, as he makes it apparent that in order for him to express his concerns and reach out to Britain, tensions must have already risen to an...