Retaliation between the British and colonists escalated tensions during the lead up to the Revolutionary War. When the colonists protested British taxes through acts like the Boston Tea Party, the British retaliated with violence that killed colonists. In turn, colonists responded to British shows of force, like declaring war after patriots stole gunpowder, with further acts of defiance. This cycle of retaliation on both sides demonstrated how lack of compromise and increasing retaliation can push conflicts toward open war.