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Proclamation of 1763
This act prevented the westward expanse of the colonists beyond the Allegheny Mountain range. The colonists disregarded the act in question as it was never fully enforced by the British government, but the westward expansion was still withheld. -
Sugar Act
The British taxed items such as wine, silk, and coffee as well as outlawed any foreign source of rum. The colonists would attempt smuggling or resist the tax altogether, saying "no taxation without representation" in protest to the taxes. -
Currency Act
This act prevented the colonies from making their own money and only used the currency from the King. This, in turn, caused economic strains on the colonists as they were near always short on hard currency. -
Stamp Act
This act taxed all paper goods, requiring them to have revenue stamps or else they would be seen as counterfeit or smuggled. In response, the colonists boycotted all paper goods and held a "Stamp Act Congress" in October of the same year to try and appeal to the Parliament. -
Quartering Act (1765)
This act required colonists to hold British military troops in their homes. The colonists were forced to take care of the troops that came in. -
Declaratory Act
This act made any laws Parliament passed affect all the colonies, regardless of the case. This caused the colonists to celebrate as the Stamp Act was repealed. -
Townshend Acts
This act allowed Parliament to say that any imported colonial goods were legal to be taxed, but interal taxes were illegal. In response, the colonists dressed in homespun clothing and found alternatives for tea. John Dickinson also wrote a letter to Parliament, stating that they were allowed to control imperial commerce, but they did not have the right to tax the colonies regardless of duties. -
Boston Massacre
The colonists antagonized the British troops as someone yelled the order to fire, leaving three dead as a result after the event. Parliament repealed all the taxes from the Townshend Acts except for those on tea in the aftermath. -
Boston Tea Party
Samuel Adams and a group of colonists boarded three British ships in the night and dumped all the tea into the Boston Harbor, leading Parliament to declare this as vandalism. -
Coercive/Intolerable Acts
Parliament closed the Boston Harbor until the dumped tea was paid for. In addition, local authorities were restricted and town meetings were banned unless the governor agreed. The colonies decided to band together against these acts. -
Quartering Act (1774)
This act made it so local authorities sought out homes to house British soldiers, even in private homes if needed. This caused sister colonies to rally to the colonist's aid. -
Quebec Act
This act extended Quebec's boundaries to south of the Ohio River. It also advocated for trials without jury, no representative assembly, and gave the Catholic Church a semi-established power. The colonists grouped this with the Coercive Acts, and they were collectively called the "Five Intolerable Acts".