The Townshend Act and the Boston Massacre Whenever the colonies were established, there were always problems, much like today. They worried about overtaxation, jobs, money, their children and many other things. Things haven't really changed, other than some of our morals. In the 1770s, many men in power were selfish and only cared about money. Sure, some claim that America is still this way, but we know that's not all true. Back when America was still primarily ruled by England, in any war England participated in, America paid the price. These men in positions of power would force Americans to pay excessive taxes to cover debts from wars and even sometimes just to make money from them. So here is how an overimposition event led to a deadly outcome (Godwin). In 1767, the British Parliament passed the Townshend Act which was simply a way to collect more revenue by overtaxing the colonists. The Townshend Act was established by a man named Charles Townshend. This law taxed products such as oil, paint, glass, lead, paper and tea. Boston me...