How were mob actions important during the Pre-American Revolution?

Question

How were mob actions important during the Pre-American Revolution?

Answer 1

They principally brought the focus on the dissatisfaction with the Royal governors. Boston Massacre brought the focus on the dissention over the tax. The Stamp Act riots did the same, the tarring and feathering parties likewise.

It also brought more troops to the colonies, in response to the riots. There were no police departments in those days, it was soldiers who were sent out to keep the peace and arrest someone who had broken the law.

As the number of troops increased, the Quartering act was passed, forcing homeowners to shelter and feed soldiers at their own expense.

The more soldiers, the more unwanted guests in people's homes, the more dissention in the colonies. The greater the dissention, the nearer we moved to war.