Why were the Patriots angry at Great Britain?

Patriots, or "Whigs" were angry at Great Britain because they felt that Parliament, with the approval of King George and his ministers, was violating their rights as English subjects. They believed strongly that the British government had no right to tax them without their consent. When Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765, the colonists were suddenly forced to pay a direct tax. The colonists protested that since they had no representatives in Parliament, it...

Patriots, or "Whigs" were angry at Great Britain because they felt that Parliament, with the approval of King George and his ministers, was violating their rights as English subjects. They believed strongly that the British government had no right to tax them without their consent. When Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765, the colonists were suddenly forced to pay a direct tax. The colonists protested that since they had no representatives in Parliament, it was unlawful to tax them. Later attempts to tax or regulate goods that the colonists had to import from Great Britain, including lead, glass, sugar, and tea met with similar complaints. They thought their rights were being violated in other ways as well. When the Crown sent troops to Boston to preserve order, many colonists saw this as an affront to their belief that standing armies should not be kept in the midst of the people. The Proclamation of 1763 had restricted the colonists in buying lands in the Ohio Valley, something they felt was their right to do. So in short, the Patriots were angry that the British government violated their rights as Englishmen.