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Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 prohibited the colonists from settling west of Appalachia. This didn’t allow settlers to purchase land or make agreements with the Native Americans. Only licensed traders to could go west or deal with Indians. Some colonists defied the proclamations and others resented the Kings laws on trade and migration.They didn't like the act because they wanted to move to the new territory and explore. There were also people living there before the act was passed. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act reduced the rate of taxes on sugar and molasses in order to end the smuggling of it from the French and Dutch. The colonies smuggled sugar and molasses because during that time there had been the Molasses Act which made the colonies pay sixpence per gallon. The sugar act caused the colonies to openly protest the British Parliament's intervention in colonial affairs and they formed an organized boycott of luxury goods imported from Great Britain. -
Currency Act
The Currency Act took control of the colonial currency system and it prohibited the issue of any new bills and reissued existing currency. The colonies used Bill of Credit because the gold and silver coins that came to the colony from export transactions were used to pay for imports and this didn’t leave much currency for business. They used the Bill of Credit to pay the things in America. This angered the colonists and they petitioned its repeal. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act required all colonists to pay a tax on every piece of paper they used. Things like legal documents, licenses, newspapers, and playing cards were taxed. The money was used to pay the cost of defending the Appalachian Mountains. The colonists didn’t like that England was trying to raise money in colonies without the approval of colonial legislatures. In the colonies crowds mobbed stamp distributors and threatened them. They also turned away ships carrying stamp papers from England. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act required colonists to house British soldiers in barracks provided by the colonies. If the barracks were too small then they would go to local inns, livery stables, and more. If the all of the places were filled then the colonies were required to take, hire, and make room for the soldiers. New York refused to comply with the law. In Massachusetts there were street brawls which led to the Boston Massacre. -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act stated the British Parliament’s taxing authority was the same in the colonies as in Great Britain. They also repealed the Stamp Act. The act asserted Parliament's complete authority to make laws binding on the colonies. The colonies were happy that the Stamp Act was gone. But the colonists were still mad. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend Acts imposed payments on British china, glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea imported to the colonies. They were going to use the money to pay the salaries of colonial governors and judges. This led to the colonists boycotting British goods. The New England merchants agreed not to import British goods for one year with the exception of necessities. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a street fight that happened between a mob and British soldiers. The mob had 50 people who were throwing snowballs, sticks, and stones. The soldiers who were attacked fired into the crowd and instantly killed 3 people. It wounded 8 others and 2 of those died later. Soon a town meeting was called to remove the soldiers and have a trial of Captain Preston and his men. Two of the soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter. The governor evacuated the army from Boston. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act granted the East India Company the right to shop its tea directly to the colonies without first landing it in England. This act angered the colonists because allowing the company to sell tea directly in America it cut out colonial merchants. Some colonists thought that the tax was supposed to get them into accepting Parliament’s right to impose taxes on them. The colonists soon began to boycott tea. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest by the Sons of Liberty who dressed as Native Americans. They boarded the docked ships and threw 342 chests of tea into the water. They threw out all the tea and there was no property damage during the protest. -
First Continental Congress Meeting
The first Continental Congress Meeting was when all of the colonies except Georgia sent delegates. The meeting talked about the ways to deal with Great Britain. The wanted the King and Parliament to know the grievances of the colonies and what could be done to fix them. They wanted the rights of the colonists restored.