Final answer:
The answer to the question 'Constant _______________________ made many colonist fearful to speak out against the King.' is 'intimidation'. Colonial discontent was fueled by British policies such as the Intolerable Acts and changes in the financial dependence of British officials on colonial assemblies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Constant intimidation made many colonists fearful to speak out against the King. In the eighteenth century, colonial assemblies exercised power and sought to expand their influence over colonial affairs, perpetuating self-government ideas. New governors tried to win colonists over, but often had to acquiesce to assembly demands. British citizens, including colonists, were supposed to be protected under laws like the Bill of Rights and the Act of Religious Toleration. However, policies like the Intolerable Acts and the way British officials were paid altered the balance, making colonists like George Washington equate their treatment to that of enslaved people. The Stamp Act and subsequent intimidation of tax collectors highlighted the growing disenchantment and fear. Assemblies previously exerted control via 'the power of the purse,' but British-imposed taxes sought to diminish this, inciting a greater pushback against the Crown.