Final answer:
The British government's response to colonial protests against taxes included enforcing policies through military presence, suspending local legislatures, and enacting the "Intolerable" Acts. These actions only increased colonial discontent, leading to greater unity and resistance that contributed to the start of the American Revolutionary War.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the colonists began protesting against the taxes imposed by the British government, such as those from the Townshend Acts and the Stamp Act, the British responded with measures that only exacerbated tensions. The British officials threatened to suspend the legislatures of colonies engaging in boycotts of British goods and sent military forces to enforce their policies. In response to the protests, notably the Boston Tea Party, the British enacted the "Intolerable" Acts, including closing Boston Harbor and revoking Massachusetts' charter, effectively taking a hard stand against the escalating American dissent.
In 1775, as unhappiness and pushback from the colonies grew, the British Parliament declared Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion, restricting trade solely to the British Empire. Prime Minister Lord North presented the Conciliatory Proposition, which offered to eliminate certain taxes if the colonies shouldered some defense costs—a proposition deemed unsatisfactory by the colonists.
British attempts to exert control included sending troops to collect duties, and the imposition of direct taxes on the colonists, who had no representation in Parliament. These actions deepened the colonists' resolve and led to further unity against what they saw as British aggression, setting the stage for the American Revolutionary War.