Final answer:
The colonists viewed the power exerted by the British Parliament as illegitimate, feeling that taxes without direct representation equated to being slaves and a violation of their rights as English subjects.
Step-by-step explanation:
The colonists felt that the British Parliament possessed an illegitimate kind of power over them because they were taxed without direct representation. Colonists like John Dickinson vehemently declared that this situation amounted to them being slaves, as they were taxed without their own consent - which was not expressed by themselves or their representatives. This sentiment was reinforced by historical documents such as Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights, which upheld the right of people to consent to taxation. Moreover, the imposition of taxes and laws by Parliament, where colonists had no elected representatives, sparked widespread protest and boycotts, culminating in a revolutionary spirit that challenged the very core of British authority in the colonies.