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Proclamation Act
The act was enforced by 10,000 British troops in order to keep the colonist from rushing into the newly acquired land and provoking the Indians. They also restricted Indian trading to those licensed by British officials. This was also the first time British troops were stationed during peacetime. -
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Timeline
The many acts Britain passed that the Colonists slowly began to realize violated their rights. -
Sugar Act
To keep Britain from going into more debt from stationing the troops, Parliament placed a tax on imports of wine, indigo, coffee, and textiles. The British expanded the customs service by having the navy enforce the requirement of paper detailing cargo and destination. -
Currency Act
An act that prohibited colonies from issuing paper money and required that all debts be paid in British currency. -
Declaratory Act
An act unanimously passed by Parliament asserting the House's right to make laws governing the colonist. -
Stamp Act
This was the first direct tax that Parliament had to impose on the colonies. This act was passed to raise revenue and to support the army protecting the colonies. They applied this tax to; almanacs, newspapers, pamphlets, legal documents, and playing cards. The colonies realized this was a violation of their right to only have taxes imposed on them by their legislative assemblies. As a result, the colonies boycott British goods. -
Quartering Act
This act states that colonial governments are required to provide British troops with the proper living necessities. When a New York assembly attempted to resist, the assembly was disbanded by a British governor for 6 months.
(Living necessities- a shelter, candles, bed, and beverages) -
Townshend Acts
Named after the creator Charles Townshend, this act imposes taxes on things such as; glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea for the colonies. This caused a further need for naval officers to patrol imports and the tax revenue made would pay the officers stationed in the colonies. These tax revenues were also used to pay the governors and judges. This act also states that the colonists were prohibited from exercising their power of the purse to try and fight this act. -
Boston Massacre
This was an event where British troops opened fire on a Boston crowd. Five were killed and six were wounded from this event. Many officers fired their guns that day but only two were held accountable for this terrible incident. When it was found that the Townshend Act was not helping the British, they repealed the act, but they left the tax on tea to remind the colonies of this incident and their power over them. -
Boston Tea Party
An incident in which colonists in Boston, disguised as Indians, boarded 3 vessels and dumbed 342 canisters of English tea into the Boston Harbor. They went after the tea because Parliament had just passed the Tea Act which was an act that permitted the East India Trading Company to cut out colonial wholesalers. -
Intolerable Act
A series of acts, spanning from March to June, were placed to discipline Massachusetts for its patriotic behavior. One of the acts being the Boston Port Bill, which stated that the port was to be closed until restitution was made for the tea thrown into the harbor. This resulted in the First Continental Congress. -
Quartering Act
This act gave British authorities the right to acquire abandoned buildings to house troops. This act was blocked by many patriots who antagonized and stopped builders from repairing the abandoned buildings so that the troops could not be housed. -
Quebec Act
An act that enlarged French territory from the Mississippi to the Ohio River. The French law would prevail in this area and the Catholic church would have special status.
