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Proclamation of 1763
This proclamation was issued by King George III, and established three new mainland colonies (Quebec, West Florida, and East Florida), extended his southern border, and gave land to soldiers who fought in the Seven Years' War. More than that, it banned colonization west of the Appalachians. The British colonists got angry, since it banned more colonization. However, it was ended by the severance of the legal relationship with the Crown, though Congress quickly re-imposed something similar. -
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The Sugar Act
This was a piece of British legislation that was aimed at ending the smuggling trade in sugar and molasses from the French and Dutch West Indies and at providing increased revenues to fund British responsibilities. In response to this Act, around 50 letters were delivered to Parliament. The British government then repealed the act in 1766. -
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The Stamp Act
This was the first direct tax on the American colonies. This Act stated that all legal documents had to be written on specifically stamped paper, otherwise, they would not hold up in a court of law. The colonists were not happy, and boycotted until the British government repealed the act the year after it was passed. -
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Declaratory Act
This Act was passed immediately after the Stamp Act was repealed, as a response to it's failure, and proclaimed the Parliament's ability "to bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever." The message was basically that under no circumstances did Parliament abandon in principle its right to legislate for the 13 colonies. Though the colonists did not like the Act, they did not try and repeal it, they tried to compromise with the British government. -
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The Townshend Acts
These were 4 Acts passed from June 15-July 2, intended to raise revenue to pay the salaries of British governors and other officials in the colonies so that they were no longer tied to their colonial legislatures. 1-suspended the New York Legislature for not following the Quartering Act. 2-imposed import duties on tea, paper, lead, etc. 3-allowed tea to be imported free of taxes in England. 4-restructures customs services, with headquarters in Boston. Colonists boycotted and Parliament repealed.