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Currency Act
The currency act was passed on Feb 1, 1764 as a result of running low on bills. The British had banned the printing of colonial money to ease the fear of being payed depreciated amounts of money. The bills were abolished and colonist protested intensely against this. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was set to replace the standing Molasses Act, which began in 1733. The sole purpose of the Sugar Act was similar to the Molasses Act. The act outlawed the import of any type of rum that came from the outside, as well as put taxes on wines, silk, coffee, etc. The act also put a tax on Molasses from West Indies therefore angering the colonists. Since the West Indies could not produce enough the taxes went up in New England where Molasses were popular. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a tax put on American colonies by the British government in March 1765. The colonists had to pay taxes on printed documents such as calendars, newspapers, license for the retailing of liquor, probate of wills, letters, etc. It was known as the Stamp Act because all papers bore revenue of proof that it was from the British government hince the stamp. The colonies reacted by boycotting British goods. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act was passed by British Parliament in 1765 and allowed British soldiers to be housed within the colonies. The British Government passed a law that made the colonists house and feed the soldiers. If the colonists could not provide the adequate care or suitable living for the soldiers the soldiers were sent to a different place. The colonists resented this and opposed the act due to fear of the army. -
Declaratory Act
British Parliament wanted complete control over the American colonies, therefore they create the Declaratory Act. The Declaratory Act, gives British Parliament the right and freedom to legislate or make laws for the colonists to follow in "all cases whatsoever" according to the online textbook. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts are a known series of acts passed by British Parliament in 1767 including taxes on the imports of paper, paint, glass, lead, and tea. The colonists responded by boycotting British goods...again, I think they should've dumped more tea into the Harbor though. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was an event that occurred on March 5, 1770 as a result of colonists being fed up with the ongoing acts. Beginning in just a mob of colonists calling the soldiers names, someone ordered the soldiers to fire. Sources say the smoke cleared three colonists bodies were seen lying, giving colonists more reason to fear the soldiers. The colonists were angered by this and wanted to be free of British rule for good. -
Boston Tea Party
I think this is everyone's favorite historical event, I mean who doesn't love the TEA? Boston colonists were boycotting British goods and the Boston Tea Party was a result of the Townshend Acts, which put a tax on the import on tea, paper, glass, lead, and paint. The colonist dumped the cargos of tea into the Boston Harbor because they believed Governor Hutchison secretly owned a share and would unload it. -
Boston Port Act/Bill
On March 25, 1774 British Parliament passed the Boston Port Act also known as the Boston Port Bill which closed the port of Boston unless they paid back the amount of tea they had wasted. The tea had amounted to nearly $1 million (US dollars today) and the citizens of Boston had to pay this back for the port to be opened again. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were passed on June 02, 1774 as a way to punish the citizens of Massachusetts for the boycotting and protests against the British and their goods. In response to this, the colonists organized protests.
