The Road to Revolution

  • Sugar Act

    Sugar Act
    The Sugar Act aimed to lower taxes on imported sugar to encourage colonial merchants not to smuggle sugar. The Sugar Act also created vice-admiralty courts to try smugglers without a jury. The Sugar Act was important to the road to the revolution because it made colonists think that they were not important to the British empire and it violated their constitution. Colonists wondered about these things and grew further away from Britain
    (Image Credit: John Carwitham)
  • Stamp Act

    Stamp Act
    The Stamp Act was created to help pay off the British national debt. However, colonists saw it as Britain overstepping the constitution. The Stamp Act was a direct tax on the colonists and this was new for them. It was significant to the road to revolution because it started the first official protest against British authority.
    (Picture Credit: Corbett)
  • Townshend Acts

    Townshend Acts
    The Townshend Acts were acts created by the British government to strengthen control over the colonies. The Revenue act was one of the Townshend acts. It taxed colonists on paper, lead, tea and other goods that needed to be imported. The Townshend acts were significant to the road to the revolution because they helped cause the Boston Massacre. The Boston Massacre made some colonists believe that the government was using its army to keep colonists in line.
    (Image Credit: Paul Revere, 1770)
  • Tea Act

    Tea Act
    The Tea act was not created as a punishment for the colonists, but to help the struggling British East India Company. The Tea act let the East India company export its tea directly into the colonies without being taxed or needing a middleman. The Tea act was significant to the road to the revolution because it organized colonists together in a boycott and caused the Boston Tea party.
    (Image Credit: Alpha History, 2022)
  • Intolerable Acts

    Intolerable Acts
    The Intolerable acts was the nickname colonists gave the Coercive and Quebec acts. The Coercive acts were direct punishments against Boston for the Boston tea party. The British hoped that punishing just Boston would set an example for the other colonies, however, it united the colonies. It was important to the road to revolution because it initiated the First Continental Congress which was a mini government in direct opposition to the British government.
    (Picture credit: London Magazine, 1774)