The conflict that led to the independence of the United States and was characterized by the phrase "No taxation without representation" was the American Revolutionary War. This conflict arose in response to British colonial policies, especially the imposition of taxes like the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts, enacted without the consent of the colonists. The rallying cry encapsulated the colonists' frustration with their lack of representation in the British Parliament. Tensions escalated from protests to armed conflict, culminating in the Declaration of Independence in 1776, which formally asserted the colonies' desire for self-governance and freedom from British rule.