-
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 restricted colonial settlement. It reserved all land between the Allegheny Mountains, Florida, the Mississippi River, and Quebec for the Native Americans and prohibited colonists from settling in that area. All land beyond the Appalachian mountains was closed to settlement by colonists. However, it was difficult for the British to enforce and they were never able to effectively do so. The colonists viewed this as a violation of their rights to settle in land to the west. -
Sugar Act
This act outlawed the importation of foreign rum and lowered the duty on molasses from all sources. It also levied taxes on wines, silks, coffees, and other luxury items. The British hoped to limit smuggling by lowering the duty on molasses. Merchants protested the act because they believed it would ruin their businesses. Colonists were angered by the taxation without representation that the Sugar Act enforced, but they didn't react strongly. However, Samuel Adams led a boycott of British goods. -
Currency Act
Parliament passed the Currency Act to take control of the colonial currency system. It eliminated the use of colonial bills in favor of the British pound sterling and prevented the colonies from issuing new bills or reissuing existing currency. The colonists were strongly against this act and argued that it would worsen the trade deficit that already existed between the colonies and Great Britain. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act, passed by the British Parliament, was created to raise money to pay for Britain’s debts due to the French and Indian War. The Stamp Act required all paper documents to have a revenue stamp. This act affected all people in the colonies. It led to the creation of merchant non-importation associations and the Sons of Liberty, a group that violently protested. The Virginia House of Burgesses passed resolutions to reject taxation without representation. A Stamp Act Congress was made. -
Quartering Act
This act required local authorities to find suitable quarters for British troops, including in private residences if necessary. Colonists were forced to house British soldiers using any means possible, including giving soldiers access to inns, barracks, and houses. Colonists disliked being commanded to give their homes to soldiers, a command they considered taxation without representation because of meals and services they had to provide, so they refused to comply with the law. -
Declaratory Act
This act was issued by Parliament to assert their authority over the colonies. It gave Parliament complete power to make binding laws for the colonies without limit regarding what they could make laws about. It gave Parliament the same authority to implement taxes in the colonies as they had in Britain. This act didn’t sit well with the colonists but many were too busy celebrating the repeal of the Stamp Act to really protest it. The Sons of Liberty saw it as a sign of more taxes in the future. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend Act was created by British chancellor of exchequer Charles Townshend. Its purpose was to reduce British taxes and more efficiently collect taxes on American trade. It instituted taxes on lead, paper, glass, and tea imported to the colonies from Britain. The colonial reaction was strongly negative, though not as severe as the reaction to the Stamp Act. Non-importation agreements were created by merchants. It also eventually led to the Boston Massacre. The act was repealed in 1770. -
The Boston Massacre
Angry colonists taunted Private Hugh White, who was guarding the Custom House, and threatened violence. White struck one of the colonists, so they began to pelt him with snowballs, rocks, and bits of ice. More colonists joined the mob, so White called for reinforcements. Then colonists began to hit the British soldiers with sticks and clubs leading the soldiers to fire into the crowd. Five colonists were killed and six were injured. The Boston Massacre increased anti-British sentiments. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest that occured because of colonial anger towards “taxation without representation”. This was the first act of colonial defiance towards the British, proving that the colonists wouldn’t accept the unfair taxation. The colonists dumped 342 chests (45 tons) of British tea into the Boston Harbor to illustrate their hatred of the Stamp and Townshend Acts, costing the British the equivalent of one million dollars in today’s money. -
Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts)
Parliament’s response to the Boston Tea Party was the creation of the Intolerable Acts. The first one closed the Boston port until the tea was paid for. This threatened the colonial economy because the ports were vital to economic success. Other acts restricted the power of colonial authority, prevented town meetings without the consent of the governor, and forced colonists to house British soldiers. Colonial anger and anxiety led to the creation of the First Continental Congress. -
The Quebec Act
While many regarded the Quebec Act as a part of the Intolerable Acts, it was actually passed after the Intolerable Acts. It recognized the Roman Catholic Church as the established church in Quebec and reestablished French Civil law. A new governor and council were appointed and the boundaries of Quebec were extended south of the Ohio River and west of the Mississippi River. The court didn’t include a civil jury. Many colonists opposed this Act because of their hatred of the French and religion. -
The First Continental Congress
It met in Philadelphia. Delegates from every colony except Georgia attended. The purpose was to organize resistance to the Coercive Acts. It issued a Declaration of Rights to reaffirm colonial loyalty to Britain but refute Parliament’s right to tax the colonies and the Articles of Association to call for the colonies to stop importing goods from Britain until the Coercive Acts were repealed. If Britain did not repeal the acts, the Congress said the colonies would stop exporting goods to Britain. -
The Suffolk Resolve
The Suffolk Resolve was a series of resolutions written by Joseph Warren and passed unanimously by delegates from Boston and Suffolk county. It was then carried to the First Continental Congress by Paul Revere where it was approved. The resolves declared the refusal of the delegates to obey the Intolerable Acts or the officers who enforced them. They also urged colonists participate in weekly militia drills and to stop paying taxes to or trading with Great Britain.