Question

what does "No taxation without representation " mean

Answer 1

the phrase "No taxation without representation" expresses the colonial's desire to have representation in the British parliament prior to the American Revolution. Several of the key grievances listed by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence called out the fact that the American colonies were not directly represented in parliament, but were still managed without their consent. It was not necessarily an objection to taxation in itself--they recognized the need for government to provide critical infrastructure. It was, however, the fact that they had no say in determining what taxes were passed, how heavy they were, and the purposes for which they were extracted.