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Proclamation of 1763
Cause: British leaders feared that more fighting would take place on the frontier if colonists kept moving onto American Indian lands. Effect: This law banned British settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains, ordered settlers who were already there to leave the upper Ohio River Valley, and angered colonists. -
Sugar Act
Cause: In order to reduce smuggling and increase revenue to compensate for French and Indian war debt, the British government lowered taxes on sugar and molasses, but increased taxes on imports in general. Effect: Colonists were angry about being taxed without representation, and customs officials were able to enforce smuggling laws. -
Stamp Act
Cause: The British Government was in debt from the French and Indian War, so they created the Stamp Act of 1765. This required colonists to pay a tax for any official stamp, or seal, when they bought any paper/printed items Effect: The colonists protested against the Stamp Act immediately, and formed a secret society called the Sons of Liberty. -
Townshend Acts
Cause: These acts placed duties on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. To enforce this, British officials used writs of assistance. These allowed tax collectors to search for smuggled goods. Effect: Colonists hated the new laws because they took power away from colonial government. The colonists responded by once again boycotting many British goods. -
Boston Massacre
Cause: Bostonians did not like the presence of British troops and thought of them as foreign enemies, and the soldiers knew that they were not welcomed. Both sides resented each other, and name-calling, arguments, and fights between Bostonians and the soldiers ensued. The soldiers fired into the crowd killing five men. Effect: The incident caused lots of anti-British feelings among the colonists, and helped lead to the American Revolution -
Tea Act
Cause: In an effort to promote the British East India Company, the British allowed them to sell tea directly to the colonists which would lower the price of imported tea and encourage them to buy instead of smuggling which would result in more tax money. Effect: The colonists dressed as Indians and sneaked onto three tea-filled ships in the harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. -
Boston Tea Party
Cause: The Tea Act that the British imposed on the colonists. Effect: Colonists dressed as Indians boarded a ship in Boston Harbor and threw the tea overboard. King George was furious. Not only did the Tea Act stay in place, but the king closed Boston Harbor, took away their right to meet and govern themselves, and sent more soldiers to Boston. -
Intolerable Acts
Cause: The events of the Boston Tea Party made the king shut down the harbor, close town halls, and increase British presence in the colonies. Effect: This led to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, in September 1774. The Intolerable Acts were the last straw for Britain and the colonists, leading to the beginning of the American Revolution
