In this episode, I cover the Townshend Acts, the crafty attempt by Chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Townshend to enact taxes which would allay some of the colonists’ arguments against parliamentary taxation. Introduced here is John Dickinson, a lawyer from Pennsylvania, who would play a critical role in the struggle. I also cover other Townshend Acts that are rarely covered, but that also generated Whig outrage. I conclude by covering the nonimportation movement which would become a pivotal aspect of the looming conflict. What began with boycotts over the Townshend Acts would turn to bloodshed within a matter of years.
WATCH
Other Recommended Reading:
John Dickinson, Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania (letter series) – especially letter #2
Mercy Otis Warren, History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution
