British revenue Acts timeline

British revenue acts

Period: 1764 to 1774

Sugar Act (1764)

Apr 5, 1764

• Description: Imposed duties on imported sugar, molasses, and other goods in the colonies.
  • Colonists' Reaction: Protested against the act due to increased taxes and perceived violations of their rights.
  • British Government's Reaction: Strengthened customs enforcement and faced resistance from the colonies.

Currency Act (1764)

Apr 19, 1764

• Description: Prohibited the colonies from issuing paper money as legal tender.
  • Colonists' Reaction: Frustration over limited access to currency and economic restrictions.
  • British Government's Reaction: Intended to regulate colonial trade and bolster the British economy.

Stamp Act (1765)

Nov 1, 1765

• Description: Required the use of tax stamps on various legal documents, publications, and playing cards.
  • Colonists' Reaction: Outraged protests, boycotts, and the formation of secret societies like the Sons of Liberty.
  • British Government's Reaction: Faced widespread resistance, leading to the eventual repeal of the act.

Townshend Acts (1767)

Nov 20, 1767

• Description: Imposed duties on imported goods such as glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea.
  • Colonists' Reaction: Boycotts, protests, and increased tensions between the colonies and Britain.
  • British Government's Reaction: Increased military presence in the colonies to maintain order and enforce the acts.

Tea Act (1773)

May 10, 1773

• Description: Granted the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies.
  • Colonists' Reaction: Resistance and the famous Boston Tea Party, where colonists dumped tea into the harbor.
  • British Government's Reaction: Passed the Intolerable Acts in response to the Boston Tea Party, further intensifying the conflict.