During the 1760s, what did most American colonists believe about parliamentary power? Parliament had limited powers of legislation that included authority to regulate imperial trade but excluded the authority to tax the colonists. Parliament represented all citizens of the empire and therefore had the authority to legislate on all matters relevant to American colonists. Parliament could only create legislation to tax with the approval of the king. Because Parliament created the colonies, the colonial assemblies possessed no more power than Parliament permitted them.

Answer: Parliament had limited powers of legislation that included authority to regulate imperial trade but excluded the authority to tax the colonists

Explanation: Around the mid 1760s, Britain realised it needed money to pay for its war debts so the King and Parliament believed they had the right to tax the colonies. They decided to start collecting different types of taxes from the colonists to pay for the French and Indian War. These taxes included the Stamp Act, passed in 1765, which required the use of special paper bearing an embossed tax stamp for all legal documents. Another law, the Townsend Acts, passed in 1767 and this required the colonists to pay taxes on imported goods such as tea.

Many colonists felt that they should not pay these taxes as they were passed in England by Parliament and not by their own colonial governments. This led to protests as the colonists felt these taxes violated their rights as British citizens. The colonists started to boycotting or refuse to buy British goods. Thus began a series of protests which turned into the war that led to the independence of the colonies.