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Royal Proclamation
This was an act that prevented colonists from settling past the Appalachian Mountains. Many colonists are upset that they cannot move further west. This leads settlers to rebel and move past the proclamation line anyway. At this time, the colonists begin to chaff under British rule. -
Sugar Act
Parliament passed a law putting tax on imported molasses and sugar as well as some other miscellaneous items. Colonists who smuggled such goods into America were upset at the decrease in business and refused to cooperate with British officials. This caused colonists to resent the British authority. -
Stamp Act
The next tax pressed upon the colonists was the Stamp Act which was a tax on all paper goods such as diplomas, newspapers, cards, legal documents, etc. Most colonists protested the tax by refusing to buy British goods, however others became violent in their protests. This was yet another event that made American colonists begrudge the power the British had over them. -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act gave the British Parliament the ability to create laws and "to bind the colonies and people of America". Most colonists did not notice that this act had been passed as they were focused on the repeal of the Stamp Act. Although at first this act went unnoticed, the colonists and the British were still at odds over the past three acts. -
Townsend Act
This act imposed taxes on everyday items such as tea, glass, lead, and dyes. The colonists once again strongly oppose the new law. The colonial courts refuse to help British authorities enforce this new act. This results in the British placing even more soldiers into the colonies and the colonists resent the British even more. -
Boston Massacre
A group of angry colonists gathered outside a customs house to protest and grew violent. British authorities fire into the crowd, five colonists are shot dead or die of their injuries. Word spreads like wildfire through the colonies and the story is depicted as though the colonists were peacefully protesting when the British shot at them. The tensions between the British and the colonists rise to a new level because of the massacre, leading to the American Revolution. -
Tea Act
The tea act exempted the British East India Company from paying taxes on tea. Colonists feared that British companies would gain a trade monopoly, and many colonists refused to buy tea. This act lead to the Boston Tea Party which outraged British officials and drove them to pass the Intolerable Acts. -
Quebec Act
This act extended Quebec's border south all the way down to the Ohio River. It also gave French Roman Catholics full religious freedom, which aggravated Protestant colonists. Colonists were outraged that they could not settle beyond the Ohio River. This Act was basically the breaking point between Britain and the thirteen colonies. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were 4 laws passed by the British Parliament with the intention of punishing the citizens of Boston and the rest of Massachusetts for opposing so strongly to British authority. Colonists were even more resentful towards the British. All t he colonies pitched in to help Massachusetts shoulder the punishment. Through these acts, the colonies became more united and considered themselves a part of one big nation rather than 13 colonies on their own.
