During colonial times, the colonies had no representation in Parliament. They had no members in either the House of Lords or the House of Commons. Their only presence in England before the Revolution was Benjamin Franklin who was there, not as a member of Parliament, but as a representative of only Pennsylvania to promote Pennsylvania's economic interests. Later on, some but not all colonies hired him to represent their interests in England as well. But in doing so he was looked upon as a representative of all colonies.
Democracy was limited in colonial America because of the colonial system. The people in the colonies had no right to representation in the English Parliament.
Virtual representation was a scapegoat to let Parliament tax the colonies even though the colonies couldn't elect members for Parliament. It meant Britain could tax the colonies without colonial representation.
Parliament's ability to reflect colonial interest
had direct representation through assemblies - apex
physical representation vs. virtual representation in Parliamenttaxes: originate in the colonies only or does Parliament have the legal authority to impose them?Was it fair to make the colonial households pay for British troops living in their households?the legality of no trial by jury in the vice-admiralty courts
Democracy was limited in colonial America because of the colonial system. The people in the colonies had no right to representation in the English Parliament.
Virtual representation was a scapegoat to let Parliament tax the colonies even though the colonies couldn't elect members for Parliament. It meant Britain could tax the colonies without colonial representation.
Each member of Parliament virtually represented all the citizens
Number one reason was lack of representation in Parliament, which created no home control over Colonial administration. Sheryl Graham-Shockley
The colonists felt that the tax laws should be passed only by their colonial representation. "No taxation without representation" became a rallying cry of the colonists.
He believed the colonies were represented by "virtual representation" in Parliament already. So, they did not need their own assemblies.
Parliament's ability to reflect colonial interest
"No Taxation Without Representation!" and "Taxation Without Representation is Tyranny!" Both were essentially nonsense; if the colonies did get representation in Parliament, it would have been just a few seats (going by relative population), and they would have been consistently outvoted in colonial matters.
"No Taxation Without Representation!" and "Taxation Without Representation is Tyranny!" Both were essentially nonsense; if the colonies did get representation in Parliament, it would have been just a few seats (going by relative population), and they would have been consistently outvoted in colonial matters.
A colonial representative is a person elected or selected by the voters in that colony, or selected by the colonial legislature (assembly) to represent the interests of the colonists in the colonial government. The Parliament of Great Britain is the legislative branch of the British government. In the years prior to the American Revolution, the colonists complained that they did not have any representation in the Parliament, therefor Parliament had no legal right to enact laws for the colonies, with the exception of regulating trade. The Parliament answered that the colonies had virtual representation because Parliament (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) represented the entire empire, not any specific area of the British Empire. MrV
Parliament
Parliament's ability to reflect colonial assemblies.