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Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 ensured that all Western territories in North America would be used by Native Americans only. These territories included Florida, Allegheny Mountains, the Mississippi River, and Quebec. As for the colonists they didn't care for the land and didn't fight for any of the Western lands; they simply viewed this document as ineffective. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act of 1764 prohibited foreign rum from entering the country, and levied taxes on several goods like wines, silks, coffee, and other luxury items. As for the colonists they weren't fond of this act, and the majority protested against this. During these times Colonial lawyers also protested, and gave birth to the slogan "taxation, without representation." -
Currency Act
The Currency Act of 1764 made paper bills of credit illegal in the Colonies, this meant they couldn't print currency nor use it in any way. The act ensured Great Britain had total control over the colonies' currency. This act gave the colonists serious economic troubles for quite some time because this prevented them from paying for imported goods and left the colonists with several fines and penalties. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act of 1765 was the act of the British Parliament and Ministry taxing the colonists for several items like newspapers, licenses, etc; and enforcing several duties upon them. Great Britain passed this act in order for them to retrieve all of the money they lost due to war debt. As for the colonists they were furious and the majority protested; while others sent letters and complaints like John Adams. The colonists were also losing great amounts of money due to this act. -
Quartering Act 1765
The Quartering Act of 1765 prohibited British soldiers from being quartered in private homes; however this act also forced colonial legislatures to pay for the houses of British regulars and to provide barracks for the British troops. The colonists did not like this act and were opposed to following along with it; however, they would get punished severely if they did not do as told. -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act of 1766 was used as a replacement after Parliament repealed the Stamp Act and after they modified a new Sugar Act. This act temporarily ended the cruelty of taxing the colonists, yet the act also helped Parliament to remain in control. The colonists viewed this act as a victory for them, however, they didn't know it was only a temporary fix. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend Act of 1767 acted as the premise of clarifying taxes that were imposed on "imported goods by the colonies" were fair and legal, while those taxes enforced on the colonists by Parliament (Stamp Act) were cruel and very much illegal. The colonists were not happy about this act either, especially those who lived in the cities of the Eastern seaboard. To not get taxed, the colonists improvised and found resources for clothing and substitutes for tea. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre of 1770 was initiated when British troops began to flood the city of Boston, which the citizens raved over. This led to fire and violence breaking out; in the end, leaving three Bostonians dead in the snow. With the acts that the British troops committed, the colonists and the rest of the world would soon be aware of how heartless and ruthless Great Britain actually was. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party occurred to expose Great Britain to other countries about how Parliament no longer had any control over the colonies. The Mohawk Indians and their leader Samuel Adams carried great amounts of tea cargo in British ships into the Boston harbor and dumped all the cargo into the ocean. The colonists helped with this event in order to get back at Great Britain for all that they had done to them. -
Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts)
These Intolerable Acts were new laws from Parliament to the colonists; one of the first bills made life in the city hard because it closed off the port of Boston until all the tea that was dumped onto the harbor was paid for (colonists were expected to pay for it all). Other bills banned the majority of their town's meetings if they were held without the governor's consent. The bills still stripped several rights away from the colonists, which is what led them to continue the protests. -
Quartering Act 1774
The Quartering Act of 1774 allowed British troops to be housed in the homes of royal governors; these royal governors had the right to find new homes, while the colonists had to stay in their same old homes. This Quartering Act was targeting all of the American colonies instead of only Massachusetts as the one in 1765 did. This angered the colonists because it took away their rights of keeping soldiers distant. -
Quebec Act
The Quebec Act of 1774 provided trials without any jury and presented the liberation for the Catholic religion/church to spread throughout other countries. Since this act gave catholicism and French practice the liberty to move throughout North America, it appeared as a threat to the colonists because it would prevent expansion towards Northern territory for them. The colonists viewed these acts very similar to the Intolerable Acts and remained unsatisfied.