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Proclamation of 1763
- This proclamation prohibited the settlement of all colonists on the west side of the Appalachian Mountains. It also stated that any colonists already on Native American territory had to withdraw and settle somewhere else.
- Many colonists defied the proclamation simply because they wanted good farmland, while others sat back and resented all the restrictions.
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Sugar Act
- The Sugar Act outlawed all foreign rum and put taxes on silks, wine, coffee and several other luxury items. All British warships in the area were allowed to seize suspected smugglers and warrants were given to authorize British ships the ability to search the smuggler ships.
- Colonist felt like this act was a restriction or their trading and their justice many of them began to boycott many luxury goods
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Currency Act
- This act prevented any new bills from being made in the colonies and it called for the circulation of already existing and British money. It was created to protect English merchants because they had complained that the colonies paper currency made them underpaid for their goods.
- The colonists were very against this because they argue that without their own paper currency it would be hard to to py of their debts and pay their taxes.
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Stamp Act
- The Stamp Act put taxes on things from playing cards to petitions, from newspapers to license. They did this because after the Seven Year War, Great Britain needed more money to protect the colonies and they needed more money to replenish the hefty chunk they took out for the war. This act was eventually repelled because of the many protests that came from the colonists.
- Reactions for this act ranged from boycotts to riots and even attacks on the tax collectors.
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Quartering Act
-The Quartering Act required that the colonial authorities give food, drink, fuel, housing and transportation to any British forces that were stationed in their town or village.
- The colonists hated this act not because they had to house the soldiers but because they had to pay taxes for provisions and barracks for a standing army that they believed they didn't need in times of peace like at the time. They also feared that the army would be used against them. -
Declaratory Act
- This was put into place after the Stamp Act was repealed and it stated that the British Parliament's taxing authority was the same whether it be in America or in Great Britain.
- Many colonists were outraged and thought that this act was implying that more taxes were on the way. Others were busying celebrating what they saw as a political win because of the repeal of the Stamp Act.
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Townshend Acts
- There were four acts. The first had the New York Assembly stop doing any business until it followed with the financial requirements of the Quartering Acts. The second taxed each piece of china, glass, paper, lead, paint, and tea that was imported into the colonies. The third created more people that could collect taxes. The fourth allowed the East India Company to compete with the Dutch tea that was being smuggled in.
- Colonists boycotted these new taxes by refusing to buy British goods.
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Boston Massacre
- This event occurred in Boston when a group of British soldiers shot and killed several American colonists in Boston while they were being harassed by other American colonists.
- The colonists rebelled even more after this massacre. It also helped more colonists realize that they should be fighting for their independence.
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Tea Act
- This act allowed the British East India Company control over the tea sales in the American colonies. The company had a big amount of tea in their London warehouses and they were struggling financially. With this act, the company could ship tea directly to the colonies without having to stop in Britain first.
- Since the company was able to ship tea directly to the colonies, that meant they would try to ship even more tea, meaning the colonists had to pay more taxes which angered them further.
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The Boston Tea Party
As a political protest, American colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into the Boston harbor. They were very angry and frustrated with the many past taxes and "taxation without representation". They had got on to the ship disguised as Mohawk Indians.
- This event heightened the tensions that were already set between the British and the Americans. In response to this, the British put even more strict policies on the colonies. -
The Intolerable Acts
-The Boston Port Act closed off Boston ports until they payed one million dollars.The Massachusetts Government Act replaced the local council with a royally appointed one, forbid town meetings without approval and gave power to the military governor.The Administrative Act allowed British officials to go somewhere else if they were charged with capital offenses.The Quartering Act allowed governors to use empty buildings for troops.
-The colonies stuck together instead of leaving Boston alone.
