-
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was issued to prevent colonists from moving west of the Appalachians. This made it so that Native Americans could keep their land, and that Britain could still keep an eye on the colonists. -
Sugar Act
The sugar act was enacted in order to stop the smuggling of sugar on British ships. The act taxed the colonists to raise revenue and to better enforce smuggling laws. These taxes would cause many to question Britain's authority in the colonies. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed to help Britain gain back the money they lost from the Seven Years War. This included taxes on petitions, pamphlets, dice, playing cards, calenders, etc. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act gave British soldiers the ability to live in any home in the colonies under certain conditions and locations. And the soldier did not have to ask permission to do so. -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act was enacted in 1766 with the repeal of the Stamp Act. The purpose of this act was to assert Britain's power over the American colonies. The act included that Britain could tax however they felt necessary onto the colonies. -
Townshend Act(s)
The Townshend Acts were a series of acts passed by Parliament that would tax goods being shipped to the colonies. These included tea, paper, glass, and paint. This act, along with the stamp and sugar act, would be very important for the start of the revolution because of Britain's taxation without representation. -
The Repeal of the Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were repealed by Parliament because it was causing more losses for Britain than gains. They did keep the tax on tea however to show they still maintained power, and because it was a luxury item. -
The Boston Massacre
In Boston, British soldiers began to come over from England, which caused anger in some colonists. Some of these colonists began throwing snowballs, sticks, and even stones at the soldiers. This led to the soldiers opening fire on the "mob". The soldiers killed at least three people, and this massacre would show Britain's tyranny to many others. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act allowed the East India company to distribute tea in the colonies. The tea was cheaper than that sold by smugglers and private owners. It caused economic challenges for the colonies though, because many businesses could not keep up. This, along with the Townshend Acts, would lead to the Boston Tea Party. -
The Boston Tea Party
With a high tax on tea still in place for the colonies, some Bostonians decided to take matters into their own hands. On December 16, 1773, the colonists led by Samuel Adams would dump a cargo of tea into the river while disguised as Indians. Britain, afraid the world would think they had lost control, condemned the act and took legal action. -
The Intolerable Acts
After the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed a series of acts that closed the port to Boston, which was Boston's major money source. The port could be opened once they payed back the money for the tea. Among other things, it also banned town meetings and required that British troops be given shelter. -
The Quebec Act
Th Quebec Act extended the colony south to the Ohio river and west to the Mississippi river. The colony followed many French practices like trial without jury, no representative assembly, and gave status to the Catholic Church. This angered the colonists because most colonies were mainly protestant. -
The First Continental Congress
Due to the many acts of tyranny done unto the colonies, a meeting was held with delegates from all colonies to discuss their unhappiness. Georgia was the only colony without delegates. The biggest accomplishment of this meeting was the compact by the delegates to boycott British goods unless they repealed the Intolerable Acts.
