-
The Proclamation of 1763 restricted colonists from settling in certain areas in the Appalachian Mountains after the Seven Years' War due to it being set aside for Native Americans because it was the best way for Britain to keep trade afloat. This land being set aside upset many colonists because they felt the law restricted them from living on the land they fought for.
-
The Sugar Act allowed Britain to place taxes on any items related to sugar imported into the colonies because Britain was in debt after the Seven Years’ War. Eventually, it led the American colonizers to retaliate against the British government and boycott the imposed taxes on sugar.
-
The Currency Act of 1764 prohibited American colonies from printing their own paper money. This forced them to use British currency, making it difficult to pay debts, especially to British merchants.
-
The Stamp Act of 1765 was a law made by Britain, it stated that colonists had to pay a tax on many paper goods, such as newspapers, legal documents, licenses, and many more. Each taxed item was required to have an official stamp to show that the tax was paid. This helped pay for the costs of keeping soldiers in the colonies after the French and Indian War. This angered colonists because they had no representation in Parliament to approve the imposed tax, eventually causing them to rebel.
-
The Quartering Act gave British soldiers permission to reside in homes without the approval of owners. They were expected to provided housing, food, and other supplies due to army barracks being unavailable. Colonists were not happy with this change because they believed it was unfair to pay for and house soldiers they did not request.
-
The Declaratory Act stated that Parliament had power and full authority to make laws for colonists. This further reinforced Britain’s control over the colonists despite their protests.
-
The Townshend Act allowed Britain to impose new taxes on imported goods such as paint, glass, paper, lead, and tea. These imposed taxes upset the colonists leading to boycotts and raising tensions between Britain and the colonies.
-
The Boston Massacre was when British troops attacked American colonists leading to bloodshed. The colonists felt betrayed by Britain and this led to an increase in animosity towards Britain eventually giving a better reason to revolt against Britain.
-
The Boston Tea Party was a protest against the Tea Act, which was when the British East India Company had a monopoly on tea sales. The colonists then dressed themselves as Indians, loaded ships in the Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea into the water, but they later had to face consequences.
-
The Intolerable Acts were laws passed by Britain after the Boston Tea Party. This consisted of closing the Boston Harbor until the tea was fully paid off, town meetings were limited which allowed officials charged with crime in Britain to be tried in instead of the colonies. The colonists were highly upset with these acts which is why they refers to them as “intolerable” they believed it took away their freedoms and self government eventually pushing them to rebel.
-
The Quartering Act of 1774 was part of the Intolerable Acts and was even stricter than the first Quartering Act. It allowed governors to house British soldiers in a suitable location if no other form of housing was available, this included private homes. This made colonists even angrier, they believed it was an invasion of their privacy and violated property rights.
-
The Quebec Act helped extend the boundaries of Quebec in the Ohio Valley and allowed Catholics to have religious freedom. The colonists believed that French Canadians were favored due to the limitation on westward expansions; therefore causing resentment and pushing them towards revolution.