Don Cook argues that the stationing of a permanent garrison of British Troops in the American colonies after the seven years war lit the fuse that would ultimately end in revolution.

King George III believed in an energetic monarchy and executive. He managed to bundle William Pitt and the Whigs out of power and had his willing administrator, Lord Bute, take over the role of governing in parliament.

The Seven Years War meant that Britain claimed all the inner North American continent and with the defeat of the French in Montreal now controlled all of Canada. The American Indians were not too happy of that state of affairs and regularly conducted military campaigns, often very successfully by leaders such as Pontiac.

Cook writes that the British Army gave the King greater political power through patronage, as he could grant commissions, raise regiments, dispense with honours, medals, knighthoods and peerages etc. Something the Navy could not do for him. So there was an impetus for domestic political reasons that King George maintain a large army.

Bute willingly implemented the policy and one third of the British Army peacetime establishment was located in the Americas. The first year of deployment would be payed by Britain, following that the colonies would have to cover it ... by taxes raised locally and leveraged by British Parliament.

One of those taxes was the Stamp Act.