Jacob and the Brown Family in 1762

London Town, 1762

During the 1760s, many colonists became dissatisfied with Britain. After years of war with the French and Indians in America, Britain had accumulated a large war debt. The British expected the colonists to help pay it, since they had protected them. The British Parliament (government) decided to tax items that the colonists imported, like sugar and tea. They also started to tax printed items, such as newspapers, government documents, and playing cards. The colonists were outraged about the taxes   in which they had no say, since they had no representatives in Parliament. Throughout the colonies, men gathered at public houses, like the one owned by William Brown in London Town, to discuss and argue about these events.