Question

Which act did not anger American colonists because it either directly or indirectly increased taxation?

Answer 1

Acts that did not directly increase taxation but angered American colonists included measures like vice-admiralty courts without jury trials. Direct tax-imposing acts, specifically the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts, were most upsetting due to their perceived violation of constitutional rights and the principle of 'no taxation without representation.'

Step-by-step explanation:

Among the various acts imposed by the British government on the American colonists, the ones that did not directly increase taxation but still caused anger were likely measures such as the mandate for suspected smugglers to be tried in vice-admiralty courts, without jury trials, rather than any acts imposing direct taxes or internal duties.

The acts that increased direct taxes, such as the Stamp Act or the Townshend Acts, particularly enraged the colonists because these were seen as an affront to their liberties and a violation of their constitutional rights to be taxed only by their own elected assemblies, reflecting the principle of 'no taxation without representation.'

The colonists also resented that these taxes were used to pay British officials in the colonies, thus eroding the 'power of the purse' that colonial assemblies held over royal government officials.

Luxury taxes and excises on trade, such as those on tea, which were considered indirect taxes, also provoked the colonists to action and resistance.

Answer 2

Stamp Act.

Parliament's first direct tax on the American colonies, this act, like those passed in 1764, was enacted to raise money for Britain. It taxed newspapers, almanacs, pamphlets, broadsides, legal documents, dice, and playing cards.