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America’s First Constitutions and Declarations of Rights
restrictions on colonial commerce, and require the Americans to assume
a greater share of the imperial tax burden. In response to Parliament’s
abrupt change of colonial policy, the Americans began to question the
constitutional basis of parliamentary statutes designed to impose a new
economic relationship between the colonies and England. Reaffirming
and at the same time reinterpreting their ancient rights and privileges,
they turned in the final stages of resistance to thoughts about the nature
of free government. In the end, they came reluctantly to the conclusion
that secession was their only recourse.
It was thought in London that the new colonial policy was necessary
because of economic conditions in England. British industry was rapidly advancing and manufacturers in the homeland were anxious