Hello and welcome to a history of the United States. Episode 134, The Townsend Acts. In our last episode,

we looked at the reaction to the repeal of the Stamp Act in America, and then the fallout in Parliament

as the Rockingham Ministry fell to be replaced with the Ministry of Pitt, now the Earl of Chatham.

Chatham's plans were somewhat incoherent,

and it became clear he was in no-fit state to become Prime Minister. As he took time away from public life, power shifted to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Charles Townsend.

Today, we turned to look at what Townsend did with it.

We introduced Charles Townsend in our last episode,

and gave an overview of his career prior to becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer in Pitt's ministry.

The three things I really want to highlight are, one, that he had extensive experience dealing with the colonies from his days on the

board of trade. Two, that his experience also led him to develop an interest in taxation, and three, that both of these prior points

placed him very much on the save wavelength as Grenville. On January the 26th, 1767,

Grenville introduced a motion to the House of Commons, asserting that America should be taxed.

He was clearly still bitter about his defeat in the repeal of the Stamp Act.

It was defeated, but when issuing the government's response, Townsend asserted that he knew of how taxation could be extracted from America without resistance.

The next move Townsend made came a month later when he announced a reduction in the land tax.

This was a hugely popular move in the comments, to quote prominent wig Edmund Burke. He conformed

exactly to the temper of the house, and he seemed to guide because he was always sure to follow it.

Now, I'm sure you're asking, wait, Jamie, Townsend was reducing taxes. Didn't you tell us last episode that Pitt's government

was facing a financial crisis trying to pay the debt of the Seven Years' War with Adventures in the East?

Well, yes, the government was in the middle of a financial crisis. However, the mood in Britain was

shifting against the Americans. To the average Brit, they felt that

Americans were not paying their fair share. The cost of military garrisons in North America alone

...