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Procalmation of 1763
Gret Britain had gained many territories after its victory in the French and Indian war. To limit settlement in these territories Britain issued the Proclamation of 1763, which prohibited colonists from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains, away from where Britain's important markets and investments were. To ensure no westward movement, Britain planned to send 10,000 troops to America. Because of this, colonists felt that their freedom was being limited, and interfered by the troops. -
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Road to Revolution
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The Sugar Act
http://www.historycentral.com/documents/Sugar.html (Primary Source) To convince the colonists to pay their taxes instead of smuggling, Parliment passed the Sugar Act in 1764. This lowered the tax on molasses imported by the colonists, and let brittish officers seize goods from smugglers without going to court. This act still made colonists feel that their rights were being violated, and they thought that they were not safe in their homes. -
The Currency Act
In 1764 Parliment passed another law called the Currency Act. This act banned the use of any paper money in all of the the colonies. Britain simply did this to gain an even greater amount of control over the individual colonies. This created more tension bettwen the colonists and Britain, and was an important factor in beggining of the Americcan Revlution. -
The Stamp Act
http://www.lva.virginia.gov/lib-edu/education/psd/colony/henry1765.htmPrimary Source Parlament passed even another act in 1765 called the Stamp Act. This act placed a tax on pretty much all the printed material in the colonies, and also made all pinted material require a stamp. This badly affected everyone in the colonies. It interfered with colonial affairs by taxing colonists directly, and without their consent. Becasue of the harmfull affects of the Stamp Act, it led to protests on the streets where people destroyed the houses of royal officials. -
The Quartering Act
Parliment passed yet another law in 1765 called the Quartering Act. This act forced colonists to pay for the housing of British troops in taverns, inns vacant buildings, and barns. Not only did they have to pay for their living quarters, but also their food and drink. This act was what convinced the colonists that they needed to take action against the Britain. -
The Stamp Act Congress
In October delegates from the nine colonies met in New York to discuss at a metting called the Stamp Act Congress. During this meeting, they created a petition and sent it to the king/Parliment declaring that the colonists should not be taxed exept by their own assemblies. In protest, the colonists also refused to use stamps, and merchants boycotted British and European goods. As the days went on, Birtish merchants lost so much bussiness that they begged the Parliment to repeal the Stamp Act. -
The Declaratory Act
In March 1766 Parliment finnally agreed to the colonist's demands to repeal the Stamp Act, but at the very same time passed another law called the Declaratory act. This law stated that Parliment had the right to tax and make decisions for the colonies "in all cases". So although the colonists had won the battle, they did not win the war. -
The Townshend Acts
http://www.historycentral.com/documents/Townsend.html >Primary SourceIn 1767 Parliment passed a set of laws that we now call the Townshend acts. British leaders understood from the failed Stamp Act that the colonists would not tolerate internal taxes, so in these laws taxes were only placed on imported goods. Colonists still remained outraged because they resented any of the taxes the Parliment passed at this point, so they bocotted it the same way they did the Stamp Act (which was very effctive). The boycott was even more widespread that time, and effective too.
