Which document encouraged colonial boycott of British goods by arguing taxation without representation was unconstitutional?

• A. Non-importation movement
• B. Proclamation Line
• C. Massachusetts Circular
• D. Intolerable Acts

Answer: (C)

The main idea this question tests is how colonists framed their resistance to British taxation policies and how a manuscript helped unify that effort. The Massachusetts Circular Letter is the document that made the argument that taxation without representation violated the rights of English subjects and, because colonists did not elect members of Parliament to represent them, Parliament had no rightful authority to tax the colonies. Drafted in 1768 by members of the Massachusetts assembly, it contended that the Townshend Acts were unconstitutional and urged other colonies to join in protesting and pressuring Parliament. That call helped coordinate a boycott of British goods as a way to show economic unity and force a repeal of the acts.

The other options don’t fit as well. The Proclamation Line addressed westward expansion and land rather than taxation or coordinated resistance. The Intolerable Acts were punitive measures enacted later and not a document arguing constitutional rights to taxation or calling for a boycott. The Non-importation movement reflects the boycott effort itself, but it’s a broader campaign rather than a specific document making the constitutional argument in question.