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Sugar Act
Revised duties on sugar, coffee, tea, wine, other imports; expanded jurisdiction of vice-admiralty courts. Colonists help sever assemblies to protest taxation for revenue. -
Stamp Act
Printed documents could only be issued on special stamped paper purchased from stamp distributors. Colonists started riots. Collectors were forced to resign. Repealed March 18, 1766. -
Quartering Act
Colonists must supply British troops with housing and other items. Colonists protested in assemblies. -
Declatory Act
Parliament declares its sovereignty over the colonies "in all cases whatsoever". Colonists ignored this in celebration over repeal of stamp act. -
Townsend Revenue Acts
New duties on glass, lead, paper, paints, tea. Customs collections tightened in America. Colonists stopped importing British goods and protested in assemblies. Newspapers attacked British policy. -
British Troops Occupy Boston
Enforced Townsend duties. Officers were drunken and rude. Their prescence lead to street fights. -
Boston Massacre
Colonists threw rocks at British Troops in King Street. In confusion, troops fire upon crowd. -
Tea Act
Parliament gives East India Company rights to sell tea directly to Americans. Some duties on tea were reduced. Colonists protested against the favortism shown to monopolistic company, caused the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
Group of colonists disguised as Indians dumped 340 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. This brought the coercive acts on. -
Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts)
Closes port of Boston and restructures Massachusetts government. This restricted town meetings, had troops quartered in Boston. British officials accused of crimes sent to England or Canada for trial. Colonists boycotted British goods. -
First Continental Congress
Drew up dignified papers. Made laws for colonies. -
Second Continental Congress
Led colonies toward a clean break from Britain. Voted for independence on July 2, 1776. Declaration of Independence adopted on July 4, 1776. -
Prohibitory Act
This declares British intention to coerce Americans into submission. This put an embargo on American goods and had American ships seized. This drove Continental Congress closer to decision for independence. -
Common Sense
Written by Thomas Paine. Pushed collnists closer to Independence.