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End of the French and Indian War
At the end of the French and Indian war, the British were greatly in debt. The Colonists were upset with the numerous policies set in place to help British debt. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act enforced a tax on sugar, molasses and other goods that had been imported. It angered colonists due to the fact it hurt trade, violated their rights, and any goods could be seized by custom officials. -
Declaratory Act
An act passed to show the colonists that the British parliament had the right to tax them. Again, the colonists weren’t fans of this and were upset they could be taxed without representation or a say. -
Townshend Act
Regulations and taxes enforced by the British due to
still being in debt for troops in America. Once again, colonists were infuriated and a “circular letter” was created by the Massachusetts assembly to spread to other colonies. -
Tea Act
The British parliament added a tax on tea for more money. Tea was an important staple for the colonists so they were outraged by these taxes and responded by boycotting and throwing the Boston Tea Party. -
Start of the Revolutionary War
As tensions grew, the colonists realized they need to fight back and not allow the British to rule them unfairly. Many colonists were on board, Massachusetts passing resolutions, but other colonists didn’t like the idea of breaking away from Britain.