gs as playing cards and marriage licenses, plus other commercial and legal documents. This enraged the colonists into forming protests groups between the states called the Stamp Act Congress. This was the first time all the states began to work together for a common goal. This would prove to be an important beginning, because events such as the Continental Congresses were to follow.However, one if the largest differences of opinion came with the colonies' perception of "taxation without representation". From the colonies' point of view, it was impossible to consider themselves represented in Parliament unless they actually elected members to the House of Commons. But this idea conflicted with the English principle of "virtual representation," according to which each member of Parliament represented the interests of the whole country, even the empire, despite the fact that his electoral base consisted of only a tiny minority of property owners from a given district. The rest of the community was seen to be "represented" on the ground that all inhabitants shared the same interests as the property owners who elected members of Parliament. Most British officials held that Parliament was an imperial body representing and exercising the same authority over the colonies as over the homeland. The American leaders argued that no "imperial" Parliament existed; their only legal relations were with the Crown. However, British merchants also felt the effects of the American boycott, and threw their weight behind a repeal movement, and in 1766 Parliament yielded, repealing the Stamp Act and modifying the Sugar Act.After that, Britain again passed yet another act. This one a tax on sugar, tea, plastics, and other things called the Townshend Acts. This tax was the worst yet because it created funds to pay the salaries of royal judges and governors in America. The people in America again protested, and the British again repealed the act except for the d...
