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The act was passed by the British Parliament for plantation owners in the West Indies. The molasses was largely taxed (six pence per gallon). It was because the West Indies were Britain's best place to trade with. The molasses was so expensive, which caused smuggling and bribery.
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The law was fated to end and would lead to the Sugar Act. The molasses taxing was incredibly expensive, and the British government realized this. There was constant smuggling too.
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George Grenville, the British Prime Minister had the idea of raising revenue by taxing the American colonists with the Sugar Act. Before, there had been the Molasses Act which had been a complete flop. The sugar taxes were half as much as the molasses. The British were happy because it decreased smuggling rates of sugar. Colonists reacted through boycotts, nonimportation, and council meetings in Massachusetts. Places that were affected were angry. However, people unaffected didn't really care.
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The Stamp Act was where Great Britain taxed the American Colonists for all important documents. This included card decks, dice sets, newspapers, and more. A royal stamp would be placed on the items to ensure that colonists paid taxes. If a colonist didn't have a stamp when checked for one, they'd be fined. As well, if you forged a stamp, the punishment would be death.
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Americans were forced to provide housing and provisions for British soldiers. The policy arose when Lieutenant Thomas Gage needed provisions and quartering, so the British parliament came up with the Quartering Act. Of course, the colonists hated it. At one point, 1500 troops came to New York City in 1766, and the New York Provincial Assembly didn't comply to the policy, but after New York's government was almost suspended, New York complied, and British thought the act had been successful.
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The Stamp Act affected all Americans, unlike the previous acts. Because of this, all of the colonists felt more united than ever. They were enraged about the Stamp Act. A group called the Sons of Liberty fought to stop the Stamp Act. They spread the word about, "no taxation without representation". People were so fed up that they started burning things and attacking ships. Benjamin Franklin went to the House of Commons in England, and the British repealed it from fear of an American Revolution.
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The Revenue Act was the first Townshend Act, and since the Stamp Act was an internal tax system that failed, the British parliament believed that charging taxes on imports wouldn't make the colonists mad. Although the original purpose of the Townshend Act was to raise money for the American military, Townshend thought it would be better to pocket the money for the British parliament. The Townshend Act angered the American colonists, even more, increasing resistance especially in Boston.
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Many merchants wanted to boycott the Townshend Act by ending imports and not using those products. However, this wasn't successful, and it ended in 1771.
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Lord North, the new Prime Minister, determined a partial repeal of the Townshend Act, still wanting to tax Americans.
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Thousands of Americans joined the resistance, stating they wouldn't consume imported products. The policy would starve the foreign products and later caused the Continental Congress to suspend all trade with Britain.
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The policy allowed a governor to house soldiers in other buildings and structures, if suitable quarters weren't provided. This act was to be an agreement between the parties involved. Provisions were not required by the colonists. However, the colonists hated the act as it was part of the Intolerable Acts. American's began feeling more and more oppressed by Great Britain, and they wanted freedom. The British Parliament began feeling tension as well from American protest.
