The event that served as a major cause of discontent leading to the American Revolution was the imposition of taxes without representation, exemplified by practices like the Stamp Act of 1765 and the Townshend Acts of 1767. These taxes, applied to various goods imported from Britain, angered the colonists who felt their rights as Englishmen were being violated since they had no representation in the British Parliament. The rallying cry of “no taxation without representation” became a cornerstone of colonial resistance. This resentment culminated in protests, boycotts, and eventually, the Revolutionary War as colonists sought to assert their rights and independence.