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Molasses Act 1733-1764 (Replaced by Sugar Act)
The Molasses Act was a 6 pence tax on non British molasses. This was done to make British Molasses cheaper than the foreign alternatives and regulate trade. The act was unsuccessful as no measures were put in to collect the tax so smuggling and simply not paying it were easy ways around the tax. It was replaced by the Sugar Act in 1764. -
Royal Proclamation of 1763 1763-1783
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was a law passed to prevent colonists from going past a drawn line in the Appalachian Mountains. It was done to regulate expansion and prevent further hostilities between the British and the Indians after Pontiac's Rebellion. It was also a major contributor to the Revolutionary War due to preventing the colonist's drive west. -
Currency Act 1764-1773
The Currency Act was a law the British passed that prevented each colony from creating it's own currency. It didn't prevent colonies from issuing money but they had to be British pounds. This contributed to the Revolutionary War because the colonies lacked valuable commodities like Gold and Silver and suffered economically as a result. -
Sugar Act 1764-1766
The Sugar Act was the successor to the Molasses Act. In 1764, the British put in place the Sugar Act as a way to deal with the massive amount of debt from The French and Indian War. The tax was halved to three pence as a way to get more people to pay it which was a primary flaw with the Molasses Act. Unlike the Molasses Act which was meant to regulate trade, the Sugar Act was meant to be collected. This angered the colonists and contributed to the start of the Revolutionary War. -
Quartering Act of 1765 1765-1766
In 1765, the Quartering Act of 1765 was passed as a way to house soldiers stationed in the colonies after the French and Indian War. This angered the colonists because they saw it as pointless due to there being no threats and having to house soldiers in their businesses and homes. This created lots of tension which contributed to the Revolutionary War. -
The Stamp Act 1765-1766
The Stamp Act was passed in 1765 as a way to pay for soldiers stationed in the colonies after the French and Indian War. The tax garnered much controversy as the colonists saw no point to stationing troops in an area with no conflict or possibility of one. It was a major contributor to the Revolutionary War and coined the famous slogan "No taxation without representation." -
Townshend Acts 1767-1770
The Townshend Acts were laws passed by the British in 1767 as a way to raise revenue for the crown. The laws caused so much unrest that the British sent a warship to the Boston Harbor. The laws were repealed in 1770. The Tea Act was brought back in 1773 and led to the most famous event prior to the Revolutionary War, the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Massacre 1770
The Boston Massacre was an event where 5 civilians were killed and 6 others injured after someone in a mob attacking British soldiers yelled "Fire." The soldiers mistakenly thought it was their commanding officer and shot. The event led to the Revolutionary War because it was propagandized on both sides and is remembered by Paul Revere's famous engraving. -
Boston Tea Party 1773
The Boston Tea Party was a protest of the newly instated Tea Act which put a heavy tax on British Tea. Protesters had stopped the unloading of Tea in 3 other colonies but decided to throw the Boston shipment into the River. This spurred the British to create the Coercive Acts (known as the Intolerable Acts to the colonists) and helped start the Revolutionary War. -
The Intolerable Acts 1774
The Intolerable Acts (known as Coercive Acts to the British) were the British response to the Boston Tea Party. It took away Massachusetts's historical rights such as the ability to self govern. It was seen as an unnecessary set of laws that bred contempt for the British. -
First Continental Congress 1774
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of representatives from 12 of the 13 colonies. Georgia didn't have a representative because they were hoping the British would help them fight the Indians. They started a boycott of all British goods and would have succeeded if the Revolutionary War hadn't started during it. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord 1775
The battles of Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the Revolutionary War despite colonists not declaring war until 1776. The battle of Lexington had occurred when the British came to intercept Patriot supplies but were attacked by them. Eventually the British retreated to build up their numbers. After that they were ambushed by Minutemen in Concord and 30 were killed in the crossfire. The colonists won the battle and while not official yet, the Revolutionary war had truly begun.
