What was one peaceful way the colonist protested the taxes placed on them?

While destroying property or threatening tax collectors were methods used by the Sons of Liberty, a much more common and popular method of protesting British taxation was boycotting. By wearing homespun material rather than relying on British cloth, one could announce to the public that one supported the patriot cause. To protest British tea, many increased their intake of herbal teas or teas made of of wild foods, such as dandelions. Women were especially instrumental in this type of protest because they were responsible for the household and could choose whether or not to use goods made in the colonies.
Another way that the colonists protested British taxation was through smuggling. While this could sometimes be violent, in many cases the smugglers got away without punishment, sometimes by paying a bribe. Smuggling was a tradition in many seaports and the colonists had no problems using imported goods from Britain's enemies if such goods were of better quality or less expensive. After Britain tried harder to collect tax money, smugglers acted just as much on principle as they did to achieve a profit.

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