Final answer:
Britain increased taxes on the American colonists primarily to raise money for its debts incurred from the French and Indian War. The new taxes, such as the Sugar Act and Stamp Act, were aimed at defraying the costs of maintaining the colonies and were not intended as punishment for specific events but rather as part of a broader financial approach. The correct option is B.
Step-by-step explanation:
Britain increased taxes on the colonists primarily B: To raise money for Britain's debts. In the period following the French and Indian War, Britain had accumulated significant debt and needed to raise revenue to manage this financial burden.
These new taxes were seen as direct taxes imposed on individuals, and many colonists found this system onerous because it represented a form of taxation without their consent.
The distinction for the colonists between acceptable taxes for regulating trade and unacceptable taxes levied directly for revenue generation lay in their belief in 'no taxation without representation.' They accepted the former as within Parliament's right to regulate commerce, but saw the latter as an overreach of authority.
The idea of taxing the colonies more stringently also included the goal of asserting control and maintaining authority over the colonies, as indicated in option D: To assert control and maintain authority over the colonies. The correct option is B.