Final answer:
The colonists opposed British taxes due to a lack of direct representation, the targeting of merchants and wealthy leading to organized resistance, and the Quartering Act's costs across class boundaries. Additionally, new taxes freed British officials from financial dependence on the colonial assemblies, affecting local governance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The colonists opposed taxes imposed by the British Parliament primarily because they had no direct representation in the decision-making process. The principle of 'no taxation without representation' was rooted in the belief that in order to be taxed by a government, one must have a voice within that government. This lack of representation meant that the colonists could not influence or vote on the taxes that affected them, fundamentally challenging their rights as English citizens, as prescribed by historical documents like Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights.
Furthermore, the taxes were more often luxury items and trade excises, which significantly impacted merchants and the wealthy who were able to galvanize a resistance movement. This resistance included boycotts, published essays like John Dickinson's 'Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer,' and intimidation of tax collectors. Additionally, taxes paid salaries of British officials in the colonies, previously under the control of colonial assemblies who could exert influence over these officials. These new taxes meant releasing British officials from financial dependence on the assemblies, further aggravating the colonists.
The imposition of the Quartering Act also contributed to colonial resentment as it forced colonists to bear the costs of housing and provisioning British troops, a burden shared across all social classes. Moreover, the enforcement of tax laws in courts without juries and where defendants bore the burden of proof struck at additional legal rights they believed they possessed.