1767The British Parliament passed the Townshend Acts.Events & Anniversaries, Economy and Industry, Economy, National Events

The Townshend Acts were a series of four acts to raise revenue for governing the colonies. One of them, the Revenue Act, imposed duties payable at colonial ports on lead, glass, paper, paint, and tea, and also punished smugglers with “Writs of Assistance.” The imported items designated for taxation were difficult to produce in the colonies. Still, in response, Gloucester voted to “promote Industry, Economy and Manufactures among ourselves and by this means to prevent unnecessary importation of european Commodities the excessive use of which threaten the Country with Poverty and Ruin…” (Town Records, 103-104)