The taxes imposed by the Townshend Acts were intended to pay for defense of the colonies.

The taxes imposed by the Townshend Acts were intended to pay for defense of the colonies.

• A. Naval ships
• B. Public schools
• C. Trade subsidies
• D. Defense of the colonies

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is that the Townshend Acts were revenue-raising measures aimed at funding the British administration and defense in the American colonies. By placing duties on imported goods, the government sought money to cover imperial costs, including the salaries of colonial officials and troops stationed in the colonies. That emphasis on spending to defend and govern the colonies is what links the taxes directly to defense, which is exactly what the statement asserts. The other options don’t fit because the acts weren’t designed to pay for schools or to subsidize trade; and while defense can involve naval forces, the purpose of these taxes was broader revenue for defense and administration, not a specific focus on ships.

The main idea here is that the Townshend Acts were revenue-raising measures aimed at funding the British administration and defense in the American colonies. By placing duties on imported goods, the government sought money to cover imperial costs, including the salaries of colonial officials and troops stationed in the colonies. That emphasis on spending to defend and govern the colonies is what links the taxes directly to defense, which is exactly what the statement asserts. The other options don’t fit because the acts weren’t designed to pay for schools or to subsidize trade; and while defense can involve naval forces, the purpose of these taxes was broader revenue for defense and administration, not a specific focus on ships.