Lakhasly

The Americans, however, had developed a very different opinionvery different opinion of how they should be governed.Contests between the two were common, with governors generally exercising greater powergovernors generally exercising greater power in the northern in the northern coloniescolonies and assemblies wielding more power in the south.assemblies wielding more power in the south.By the 1720s, all but two colonies had an elected assemblyelected assembly and an appointed governorappointed governor.Governors also had the power to make appointmentsmake appointments, and thus to pack the government with their followers.Most were appointed by the kingMost were appointed by the king and stood for him in colonial government.Governors technically had great power.

The Americans, however, had developed a very different opinionvery different opinion of how they should be governed.
By the 1720s, all but two colonies had an elected assemblyelected assembly and an appointed governorappointed governor. Contests
between the two were common, with governors generally exercising greater powergovernors generally exercising greater power in the northern in the northern
coloniescolonies and assemblies wielding more power in the south.assemblies wielding more power in the south.
Governors technically had great power. Most were appointed by the kingMost were appointed by the king and stood for him in
colonial government. Governors also had the power to make appointmentsmake appointments, and thus to pack the
government with their followers. The assemblies, however, had the “power of the purse”:had the “power of the purse”: Only they Only they
could pass revenue (tax) bills.could pass revenue (tax) bills. Assemblies used their influence over finances to gain power in relation
to governors.
Colonists tended to view their elected assemblieselected assemblies as defenders against the kingdefenders against the king, against Parliament,
and against colonial governors, who were attempting to increase their power at the expense of increase their power at the expense of
popular libertypopular liberty. Thus when the British Parliament asserted its right to tax and govern the coloniesits right to tax and govern the colonies
(something it had never done before), ideals clashed.ideals clashed. The British elite’s idea of the power that its
Parliament had gained since 1689 collided with the American elite’s idea of the sovereignty of its