Was the dispute over taxation and representation a noble appeal to the principles of freedom or issue of money?

always: Was the dispute over taxation and representation a noble appeal to the principles of freedom or issue of money?
Was the dispute over taxation and representation a noble appeal to the principles of freedom or merely an issue of money? What attitudes, ideologies, and values shaped those who led the resistance?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Irv S
Both. That catchy “taxation without representation’ may have been
the birth of the political ‘sound-bite’, a quick phrase designed to appeal
to a wide spectrum, in this case both to idealism and cupidity.

Answer by ammianus
“No taxation without representation” was a political soundbite designed to rabblerouse, nothing more.

None of the colonists qualified for the franchise or to stand as MPs under British Law in the 18th century, and even if they had,the logistics and expense of attending a Parliament 3000 + miles away on a regular basis were impractical to say the least.Further, colonist MPs could have had no effect on government policy. Even if they had all been united in purpose and politics (which was unlikely), they would have easily been outvoted in the House of Commons.

Jefferson et al knew this – they didn’t want representation, they wanted outright independence.The “No taxation without representation” slogan was just a pretext.

Answer by staisil
The issue was not about the money, but about being treated as British citizens. Colonists believed the lack of direct representation in the distant British Parliament was an illegal denial of their rights as Englishmen, and therefore laws taxing the colonists (one of the types of laws that affects the majority of individuals directly), and other laws applying only to the colonies, were unconstitutional.