Final answer:
The primary reason for the passage of the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Townshend Acts by Parliament was to raise revenue to repay debts from the French and Indian War and assert control over the colonies. These taxes targeted sugar, printed materials, and various consumer goods and were met with considerable colonial opposition.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary reason Parliament passed the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Townshend Acts was to raise revenue for the British treasury, particularly to repay the debts accumulated during the French and Indian War.
The Sugar Act of 1764, introduced by George Grenville, was designed to regulate trade and reduce smuggling by lowering the duty on British molasses, thereby making it more economical for colonists to obey the law.
The Stamp Act of 1765 was a direct tax on all printed materials, seen as a way to assert Parliament's control and raise necessary funds from the colonies.
Similarly, Charles Townshend's Townshend Acts of 1767 imposed duties on various consumer goods such as paper, tea, and glass with the intent to reduce the debt while attempting to avoid the anger that the Stamp Act had provoked by taxing goods at the point of importation, which was considered an external tax.
The imposition of these taxes was met with strong opposition in the colonies, leading to boycotts and legislative assemblies challenging the authority of Parliament over colonial affairs. Despite this, the British government continued to view the acts as essential for managing imperial finances and asserting its authority over the colonies.