-
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act lowered the tariff on sugar, but heavily enforced the tariff by sending collectors to the colonies. Colonists disliked this, so they'd try to bribe, smuggle, or protest their way out of it (often unsuccessfully). This dislike united the wealthy with the lower class. Britain responded to taxation protests by claiming that the act regulated trade more than revenue, and muted further protests. Colonial assemblies went to write protests, but the Stamp Act passed and diverted attention. -
Stamp Act
This act was the first imposed tax on colonies, and it taxed items like newspapers, almanacs, legal papers, licenses, playing cards, and dice. Colonists were infuriated, so they created a Stamp Act Congress and declared Parliament couldn't tax colonists without their representation, and man colonists boycotted. This led some London merchants to bankruptcy, and the Stamp Act was finally repealed in 1766. The colonists reactions to this act ultimately caused Parliament to pass the Declaratory Act. -
Quartering Act
This act forced the colonies to give housing (other than private residencies), food, and water to British soldiers stationed in the colonies. Colonists felt like they didn't need the soldiers, and didn't want to expend more money and resources on them. The New York legislature even refused to comply. In the July of 1767, Parliament responded by passing the New York Suspending Act to suspend the New York legislature until they followed the new law. -
Declaratory Act
This act declared that all laws created by Parliament were binding to all colonists, no matter the situation. Most colonists showed little protest of this act when it was imposed, due to them still celebrating the Stamp Act being repealed. Some of them, though, were apprehensive of it. This is because they figured Parliament would start imposing more taxes with their power. In response, Great Britain did just that. Parliament soon imposed the Townshend Acts. -
Townshend Acts
These acts accomplished four things. New York legislature remained banned until it followed the Quartering Act, and a tax was imposed on imports such as tea, paint, lead, and glass. Also, tea could be imported without taxes if its taxes were levied in Great Britain, and headquarters for the colonies' custom service was placed in Boston. Angry colonists retaliated by attacking collectors and not importing British goods. Eventually, Parliament repealed these acts' taxes, except for those on tea.
