The original colonies were angry about being ruled by King George III and having laws passed by Parliament without representation. This led to several acts passed by the British that taxed the colonies without their consent, such as the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Quartering Act, forcing colonists to house soldiers and provide for them without payment. In response, colonists formed groups like the Sons of Liberty and Stamp Act Congress to protest these laws, and eventually the First Continental Congress to unite the colonies in fighting back against the British army, sparking the official start of the American Revolution with the first battle at Lexington in 1775.