disagreeable. It was called the Mutiny Bill, and it required that food
and drink and sleeping-quarters be given to all the British soldiers.
Now the Mutiny Bill fell hardest upon New York, for New York was the
head-quarters of the British army in America. The people refused to
comply with this law, because they feared that it was the first step
toward compelling them to support a great army in America.

So the soldiers and citizens were again continually at odds.

Four years after the Stamp Act was repealed, during which time affairs
were in a most unsettled state and the bitter feeling between the
colonists and England was growing stronger with each passing day, the
English Parliament declared that no tax was to be put on anything except
tea. Tea was to be taxed, not so much for the money that would thus go
to the King, but to show that he had the right to tax the colonists.
This did not settle matters in the least. The colonists had sworn to
resist all taxes, and to have a tax on one article was as bad, to their
minds, as having taxes on all. But the merchants were not prospering,
for, not importing goods from England, they had none to sell. So a
committee of 100 men was appointed to see what could be done. This
committee decided that it would be right for the merchants to import
everything they needed except tea. And the merchants welcomed this
decision and agreed to it.

But the fiery Sons of Liberty refused to listen to any such compromise.
They insisted on keeping the non-importation agreement until the duty
on tea, as well as all other duties, should be done away with once and
for all. So they determined to maintain it until the end, and they did
maintain it well. Day by day the soldiers of King George III. and the
citizens became greater enemies. Although the soldiers tried many times