The topic that colonial governor of Connecticut Thomas Fitch (1700-1774) wrote about in 1764

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A Strong Defense

By the middle of the eighteenth century, the relationship between the colonies of America and their mother country had grown thin.  The Americans were financially booming like no other land on Earth.  The colonies were also gaining population at a rapid rate.  In many ways America was one of the most successful countries in the world.  Except for one problem, they were not even a country at all.  In Britain they came to be known simply as the colonies.  However, life was not too bad for those living in the colonies, as earlier mentioned they were prospering as well as anyone could have imagined.  Possibly best of all though, was that there was not a whole lot that they were asked for by their mother country, Great Britain.  That was until Britain had defeated the French in the Seven Years War.  The war left Britain in a large financial debt, and Prime Minister George Grenville was searching for ways to pay off the debt.  He was lost, until he thought of an idea that would qualify as genius if he was able to convince the Americans to go through with it.  The idea was to tax the Americans on stamps, which came to be known as the Stamp Act of 1765.

        This is precisely the topic that colonial governor of Connecticut Thomas Fitch (1700-1774) wrote about in 1764.  (Bates, A.C. The Fitch Papers, 2 vol, 1918-20)  I have spoken of why this made sense for Great Britain, but it is my job through the document, Reasons why the British Colonies, in America, should not be charged with internal taxes by Thomas Fitch to inform you of how it made little sense to the Americans.  Fitch finds the taxation of the colonies to be wrong, and he is consistent with his disapproval of it.  His disapproval branches from the first page of his document in a Law known well throughout England and the colonies she owned,

By the Common Law of England, every commoner hath a Right not to be subjected to Laws made without his consent, and because such consent cannot be given by every individual Man in Person, therefore is the Power of rendering such consent, lodged in the Hands of Representatives, by them elected and chosen, for that purpose.  Their subjection, then, to their Laws, is not forced, but voluntary.  (Fitch, Thomas. “Reasons why the

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 British colonies, in America, should not be charged with internal taxes.”  New Haven: 1764.  pp. 1-20.

        The document appears to serve numerous purposes and is appealing to a wide range of audiences.  It is hard to tell 100%, if Fitch is directing this document more towards other powerful people in the colonies, or the people who would be very furious if the tax were to go into effect.  However, both would have great interest in reading the document because it is not only informative, but persuasive to a conclusion that would satisfy his desired audience.  It may not be directed ...

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