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The provision aimed to increase revenue after the French and Indian War and end colonial smuggling by imposing lower tariff rates on sugar, lumber, and other goods, stricter enforcement, and the establishment of vice-admiralty courts. However, this deeply impacted colonial merchants and shippers, resulting in higher prices and reduced currency due to a lack of competition. The colonists reacted by organizing boycotts, eventually leading to repealing the provision in 1766.
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The Provision was a tax on the colonists, requiring them to buy stamps for various items. Its purpose was to fund British garrisons and forts. The colonists strongly opposed the tax, organizing boycotts and forming groups like the Sons and Daughters of Liberty. The tax was eventually repealed, but the British government passed the Declaratory Act, asserting their right to tax the colonies.
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The Declaratory Act, or American Colonies Act 1766, was a law passed by the British Parliament. It was enacted when the Stamp Act of 1765 was repealed and the Sugar Act was amended. The Stamp Act was repealed due to boycotts hurting British trade, and the declaration was meant to justify the repeal and prevent humiliation. It stated that Parliament had equal authority over America and Britain, affirming its power to make laws binding on the colonies.
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British authority was established through taxes imposed by Charles Townshend on goods like glass, lead, paint, and paper, with officials having the power to search and seize without a warrant. Colonists boycotted British goods and spread the Massachusetts Circular Letter, led by James Otis, Samuel Adams, and John Dickinson. Dickinson's "Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania" opposed special duties on colonial exports, arguing they were essentially taxes on the colonists.
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The Tea Act of 1773 was a British law that allowed the British East India Company to ship tea directly to North America without paying taxes. This angered colonists, who saw it as an unfair tax imposed on them without their consent. In response, they organized protests and boycotts, culminating in the Boston Tea Party. The British government responded with harsh measures, leading to the outbreak of the American War of Independence.
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The Quebec Act of 1774 expanded Quebec's territory and allowed the practice of Catholicism, but was opposed by English-speaking immigrants and contributed to the American Revolution. It was passed alongside other punitive measures in response to protests in the Thirteen Colonies and was seen as a threat to self-elected assemblies.
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The Prohibitory Act passed in 1775, cut off trade between the Thirteen Colonies and England, leaving the colonies without the King's protection. It was a form of economic warfare imposed by Britain to punish the colonies for rebelling against British rule, leading to the Revolutionary War. It is connected to the Restraining Acts of 1775, which were listed as grievances in the Declaration of Independence.
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The Declaration of Independence was signed on August 2, 1776, in the Pennsylvania State House, later known as Independence Hall. 56 delegates from 13 colonies gathered to approve the Declaration, declaring the colonies as "free and independent States" from Britain. The signers' names are listed by state, except for John Hancock. The signing order went from Georgia to New Hampshire. The final draft was approved on July 4 but signed on August 2, 1776.