The passage of both of these taxes by the British Parliament intended to display to American colonists the British were in control while also creating a new source of revenue for Great Britain. The difference between the two tax policies are slight but telling to the growing disdain American colonists had for the British.
The Stamp Act of 1765 was pushed through British Parliament by Prime Minister Grenville to obtain more revenue for Great Britain. The new tax required colonists to buy pre-stamped paper for virtually any use: playing cards, newspapers, leases, deeds, and even college diplomas. The Stamp Act was the British Parliament's first direct attempt to tax American goods. American colonists were outraged. The Whigs argued that colonists were still British citizens and therefore taxes could only be imposed by their elected officials in Parliament, but American colonists had no such representation. The Stamp Act was repealed before it could even be implemented because of violence against royal officials and wide boycotts against British goods.
The Townshend Acts, also known as the Revenue Acts, was passed in 1767 and included a wider range of taxable American goods. Items such as glass, tea, paint, and even paper were all subject to the new tax. However, the significant difference between these two taxes was not the goods that were taxed but the destination of the revenue once it was collected. The money raised from the Townshend Acts was destined to pay the salaries of royal governors in the colonies. This angered colonists because, before the passage of this act, local assemblies made up of colonists paid the salaries of the governors, therefore, giving them leverage. Again, colonists used boycotts, demonstrations, and violence against royal officials to show their disdain against the new taxes. In 1770, the British Parliament repealed the Townshend Acts because of colonial resistance and what became known as the Boston Massacre. However, one duty was left in place, and that was the tax on tea.