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The Currency Act
The Currency Act of 1751 was issued to ban the production of new bills by the colonies. The colonies affected by this act were Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Massachusettes Bay, and Connecticut. They created this act to control the depreciation of silver and sterling to make sure it maintained its monetary value for the merchants who were owed money. In 1764 the Currency Act was extended to all colonies. This angered the colonists because it made it extremely hard to pay taxes and debts. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was issued to maintain peace and order with the Native Americans. By issuing this act the settlers could not go onto Native American lands without permission for any reason. This act was issued so that Britain would not have to spend any more money due to resolving conflict or war. The colonists did not like the Parliament taking away their "right" to travel wherever they pleased whenever they pleased. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act of 1764, also known as the Plantation/Revenue Act, was issued to end the smuggling of sugar and molasses from the French and Dutch West Indies and to provide Britain more money after the Seven Years War. The colonists boycotted luxury goods imported from Britain and began to produce those products themselves. -
The Quartering Act
The Quartering Act required the colonies to house British Soldiers in barracks that were to be provided by the colonies, by law if the barracks were full or too small to fit all of the soldiers they were to be housed elsewhere. Such as local inns, alehouses, stables, etc. And if there were still soldiers left after all the public housing then they were to be housed in outhouses, barns, vacant houses, etc. They didn't like this because they were being taxed for the barracks for the army. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act of 1765 was the first internal tax that was imposed on the colonists by the Parliament. The Stamp Act was issued after the Seven Years War to make up for the debt that they were in. This act caused the colonists to boycott and riot against Britain because they were being taxed for everything no matter how small. -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act was issued to repeal the Stamp Act. In the Declaratory Act, it stated that taxing authority was the same in America as it was in Great Britain. The colonists were calmed down by the Parliament by repealing the Stamp Act, but in the Declaratory Act, Great Britain declared complete control over America. Some colonists saw the issuing of this act as a victory because it abolished the Stamp Act, some colonists didn't because it meant the Parliament would be issuing more acts. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were a series of acts issues by the Parliament in order to tax goods that were being imported into America. The colonists in America didn't agree with this because they were being taxed and had no representation in Parliament. So in response to that Britain sent troops into America to enforce this series of new acts, angering the colonists more and eventually causing the Revolutionary War. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a standoff that turned deadly. It became violent when the British open fire and killed many colonists. After this the colonists continued to rebel against the British, it eventually lead to the Bosten Tea Party. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was when a group of colonists dressed as Native Americans and boarded a British owned ship and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor. Parliament wanted the colonists to pay for all of the tea that was dumped into the harbor. -
The Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts, also known as the Coercive Acts, were a series of acts that were issued as a punishment. The British government took four punitive measures because of colonial defiance and resistance. They closed the port in Boston until the money lost when the tea was dumped was paid off, pushed the colony border along Quebec without giving them representation on Parliament. The colonists responded by forming the first Continental Congress.