Final answer:
Colonists believed they should not be taxed by the British government as they had no representation in Parliament, relying on the principle of 'no taxation without representation'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The colonists felt that the British government had no right to tax them because they were not allowed to help elect the people in the government, reflecting the principle of no taxation without representation. Without direct representation in Parliament, colonists believed they were being unfairly taxed and that their rights as English subjects, protected by the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights, were being violated. They accepted Parliament's right to impose taxes on trade as a regulatory measure but objected to taxes raised solely to generate revenue, especially when such revenues were used to pay British officials in the colonies, which reduced the influence of the colonial legislatures.