Acts passed by Parliament

Proclamation

Oct 7, 1763

-- The Proclamation was a boundary set in the Appalachian Mountains at the Eastern Continental Divide. This was formed by the British to keep Anglo-American colonists from going on the French owned land that was obtained from the French and Indian War.
-- With this, the colonists thought England wanted to have strict control over them. So because of this, they rebelled against the law thinking that if they all acted together then the British couldn't go through with the law.

Sugar Act

Apr 5, 1764

-- The Sugar Act was enacted with the aim of ending the smuggling trade of sugar and molasses by decreasing the molasses tax but then taxing things like sugar and coffee.
-- The colonists responded to this act with protest and talked about taxation without representation in parliament. Towards the end of the year, many colonies were participating in nonimportation where they would refuse any English goods.

Currency Act

Sep 1, 1764

-- The Currency Act was put in place to gain control of the colonial currency system. This prohibited the making of any new bills and the reissue of the existing currency. Since Parliament preferred "hard currency" based on pound sterling they decided to abolish the colonial bills.
-- The colonies strongly protested against this. An effect that happened was a trade deficit with Great Britain.

Stamp Act

Mar 22, 1765

-- The Stamp Act required that the colonist pay taxes on any page of paper they wrote on and playing cards, dice, and newspapers.
-- Immediately colonies were enraged and made protests on how they should only have the power to tax residents with representatives in the legislatures.

Quartering Act

May 15, 1765

-- The Quarting Act stated that Great Britain could house their soldiers in American homes and barracks, if they could no longer fit in homes they would go in any other building they could.
-- Most colonists were outraged yet they didn't do much. New York however did not stand for being tossed out of their homes and completely refused to comply with the law.

Declaratory Act

Mar 18, 1766

-- The Declaratory Act was passed on the same day that the Stamp Act was repealed and it was passed because Great Britain was not going to surrender its control over the colonies. This made it so Parliament could make any laws where the American colonies were still tied to Great Britain and they could make a law for whatever they wanted.
-- Most colonists' reactions were to celebrate the repeal of the Stamp Act. Although the Sons of Liberty knew there was going to be even more taxation.

Townshend Act

Jun 15, 1767

-- The Townshend Act was passed because it was shown as a way to pay for the expenses that were involved in governing the American colonies. With this, there were taxes on glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea.
-- The colonist responded to these taxes by simply discouraging the purchases of imports from Britain.

Boston Massacre

Mar 5, 1770

-- The Boston Massacre was a street fight between a "patriot" mob who threw snowballs, stones, and sticks at a group of British soldiers. This led to multiple colonists being killed. This event was one of the things leading to the Revolutionary War.
-- A town meeting held by the colonists demanded that the British were removed and for there to be a trial held for the group because of the killings.

Boston Tea Party

Dec 16, 1773

-- The Boston Tea Party was an incident where 342 chests of tea that belonged to the British East India Company were thrown off ships and into the Boston Harbor. The American patriots who did this were disguised as Mohawk Indians at the time. This was their big protest against everything that has been going on by showing that they did not like taxation without representation.

Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts)

Jun 1, 1774

-- The Intolerable Acts were four laws set in place to punish the colonies. These acts were: the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quarting Act.
-- The colonists responded by showing unity and assembling the First Continental Congress to discuss a good approach to the British.

Quartering Act

Jun 2, 1774

-- Unlike the first Quarting Act the British troops were now able to stay in the private homes and facilities of the colonists.
-- All of the colonists were enraged since this meant that they could be kicked out of their own homes, but especially because this Act applied to all American colonies not just Boston and Massachusetts.

Quebec Act

Jun 22, 1774

-- The Quebec Act allowed for there to be emancipation for the Catholic, French-speaking settlers of the province granting them the ability to acquire good jobs within the government giving more power over to the Catholic Church.
-- The colonists viewed this act as a direct threat to their governments and the freedoms they were able to have under British rule.