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Proclamation of 1763
This prohibited the colonists from colonizing further westward and it also placated the Native Americans as to prevent conflict. The colonist ignored this act and they continued to settle in that direction. -
Sugar Act
This act outlawed importing foreign rum and it put a tax on molasses, wine, silk, coffee, and other luxury items. This caused the colonists to create the slogan "no taxation without representation" and it caused a lot of protests from merchants, legislatures, and town meetings. -
The Currency act
British Parliament essentially prohibited the reissue or creation of currency. The colonists protested against this because they were already at a trade deficit and they felt that an absence of hard capital would only make the situation worse. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act essentially put a tax on all paper products that the colonists used and it was the first act passed that affected every single one of the colonists. This caused some of the colonist to form the Sons of Liberty which protested the Stamp act by violent means. It also caused the legislature to issue declarations that they could only be taxed by their own representatives. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering act forced colonists to give British soldiers room and board. If they did not have enough room for the soldiers, they had to put soldiers up in whatever type of lodging they had. The colonists preferred to be asked for their consent if they were to have soldiers in their midst and so many of them refused to follow this law. Tensions that built up from soldiers having to sleep in tents and having no love for the colonists caused the Boston Massacre. -
Declaratory Acts
This act essentially stated that the British Parliament had the same right to tax in the colonies as they did in England. This act had only the effect of showing the colonists that they were not worthy of respect in the eyes of the British law makers. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts essentially taxed imported goods that the colonists got from England on the premise that internal taxes were wrong and external taxes weren't. This caused a less violent but still strong backlash among the merchants along the Eastern Seaboard because it made them lose the most money. -
Boston massacre
The Boston massacre started with a group of colonists throwing snowballs and rocks at a group of redcoats. When the rock was thrown the redcoats began firing into the group of colonists, leaving five dead. This was the spark that began the revolution and created an unsealable rift between the colonists and the redcoats.