Acts Passed By Parliament

Proclamation of 1763

Oct 7, 1763

This was a statement to all of the settlers that settling west along and near the Appalachian Mountains was forbidden and that the land was reserved for the Indians. The colonist felt like this proclamation was an act of asserting rule over them and to keep them close and under control.

Sugar Act

Apr 5, 1764

This was a law putting a tax on sugar, coffee, molasses and wine while asserting the British "right" to tax. The colonial response was negative. Some people tried to outrun the tax by bribing the collectors. Some merchants responded by boycotting luxury British imports.

Currency Act

Sep 1, 1764

This act regulated money through the British to the Colonists. The colonist could no longer print their own money. This was past because British merchants claimed to be underpaid when paid with colonist currency. The colonist thought that with this act it would ruin their economy.

Stamp Act

Mar 22, 1765

This was a law passed to tax the colonist on mostly everything but mainly on things that were paper/written or printed such as newspaper, almanacs, playing cards, pamphlets ect. The act was put into play after the French and Indian war to recover from war debt. The colonial response was to boycott British goods, attacked the tax collectors and riots also they felt that British should not have the right to tax and so the stamp act was repealed.

Quartering Act

Mar 24, 1765

This act placed British soldiers in the Colonies. It was said that the colonist have to provide food and shelter for the troops. The troops were being used as tax enforcers. The colonist felt that this was unnecessary.

Declaratory Act

Mar 18, 1766

This act was passed by parliament to state that they had the power to tax the colonist. It was also passed to repeal the Stamp Act. The colonial response was positive and they celebrated it as a win for the people.

Townshend Acts

1767

The Townshend acts are 4 acts that were passed by British parliament to put in place more taxes on goods purchased by the colonists such as lead, glass, tea, paint ect. The colonial response was to boycott British goods. The writ of assistance, search warrant, could be used to enforce taxes.

The Boston Massacre

1770

After 5 people got killed at a protest for the Townsend act the British and Americans had an altercation and the protest turned into a riot.

The Boston Tea Party

Dec 16, 1773

After the tea act the Massachusetts colonists wanted to protest. They dumped out 342 cases of tea into the Boston Harbor.

The Intolerable Act

Mar 31, 1774

This act was laws passed as a way to get back at and punish the colonists after the Boston Tea Party. The Continental congress was the colonial response.

First Continental Congress

Sep 15, 1774

12/13 colonies met to united and boycott the British and their goods as an effort to get them to repeal the Intolerable Acts.