The Revenue Act of 1767, also referred to as the Townshend Duties, taxed glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea coming into the Anglo-American colonies. That year, wealthy landowners in Britain had used their political influence to cut their taxes by a fourth, causing a massive deficit in the British treasury. Chancellor Charles Townshend made up for this deficit via the Revenue Act.
In reality, the duties brought in very little revenue, with the exception of the taxes on tea. All they really did was provoke the colonists. Assemblies all over the colonies denounced the Act, calling for its repeal. Yet another boycott of British goods was enacted, which motivated merchants in Britain to push for the repeal of the Act as well. All this tension led to violence in the colonies, culminating in the Boston Massacre in March 1770. Parliament relented and repealed most of the Townshend Duties.
