Final answer:
The colonists were taxed by the English government without having direct representation in Parliament, leading to the rallying cry of 'no taxation without representation'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The English government taxed colonists without giving them representation in the English government. This lack of representation sparked significant discontent as the colonists had no elected representatives in the House of Commons, the body responsible for imposing taxes. The assertion by the English that all British subjects, including women and Black people who could not vote, had 'virtual representation' was rejected by the colonists. Because their political systems were built on the principle of direct representation, the colonists insisted that they should either have their own representatives in Parliament if taxes were to be imposed or that only their own colonial legislatures could levy such taxes. This sentiment was encapsulated in the famous phrase 'no taxation without representation'.