the townshend duties, formally known as the townshend acts, was a tax passed by the british. it was named for charles townshend, who was the british prime minister at the time. he spearheaded the acts, but he died before the detrimental effects were clear. in 1776, he was hanged in effigy, which means a doll was made to represent him and it was hanged in the town square in boston. it taxed all imported goods. e.g tea, food, anything that was imported. townshend wanted the duties to make sure the colonists knew that they were under british rule. the acts were resisted in the thirteen colonies.