What happened to tax rates after the American Revolution?

This can be a difficult question to answer directly due to the structure of taxation prior to 1913 and the introduction of the federal income tax. read more

Especially before, during and after the Revolution there was not a direct tax on"individuals", their earnings or their property as we know those things today. Rather taxes came in the form of tariffs (taxes on imports) and excises (taxes on the sale of goods and services). read more

By then, however, the American colonists had stopped distinguishing between domestic and trade taxes and started opposing all taxation and control by Britain, setting the stage for the revolution. The bottom line: American colonists were both paid more and taxed less than the British. read more

The American Revolution was precipitated, in part, by a series of laws passed between 1763 and 1775 that regulating trade and taxes. This legislation caused tensions between colonists and imperial officials, who made it clear that the British Parliament would not address American complaints that the new laws were onerous. read more