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Proclamation of 1763 (October 7, 1763)
What it Did: Restricted colonial expansion west of the Appalachian Mountains to avoid conflicts with Native Americans. Colonial Response: Colonists were displeased, feeling the restriction hindered their ability to acquire land and expand settlements. Frontier settlers and land speculators were particularly upset. Despite the proclamation, the colonists decided to move onward west settling. -
Currency Act (September 1, 1764)
Colonial legislatures were prohibited from printing and issuing paper money to allow the British Parliament to take control of Colonial currency. Many colonists blamed this act for causing economic failure and therefore protested against such an act. -
Sugar Act (Revenue Act of 1764) (April 5, 1764)
The British government reduced the tax on molasses but implemented more severe measures for collecting it and penalizing smuggling. This move sparked widespread resentment and protests among the colonists, who argued against "taxation without representation." As a result, merchants began buying from the British instead of France and other countries. Those who violated the tax would be judged, and their cargo would be seized later. -
Declaratory Act (March 18, 1766)
What it Did: Asserted Parliament's authority to legislate for the colonies "in all cases whatsoever." Colonial Response: It was seen as an assertion of British authority, contributing to growing tension and protest. -
Stamp Act (March 22, 1765)
Required colonists to purchase and use specially stamped paper for legal documents, newspapers, and other papers. The Stamp Act led to significant unrest and protests, including boycotts and forming the Stamp Act Congress, which petitioned for its repeal. -
Quartering Act 1765 (March 24, 1765)
What it Did: Required colonial assemblies to provide housing and supplies for British troops stationed in America. Colonial Response: Colonists viewed this act as an imposition and an infringement on their rights of property, leading to complaints and resistance. -
Townshend Acts (June 29, 1767)
What it Did: Imposed duties on imported goods like glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. Revenue was used to pay British officials in the colonies. Colonial Response: Led to renewed protests and boycotts. Colonists felt these were another form of taxation without representation, leading to non-importation agreements and heightened tensions, causing more boycotts and eventually being repealed (except for the tea.) -
Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770)
What it Did: British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists, killing five. (Because a colonist threw a snowball, and they were unarmed.) Colonial Response: The event was used as propaganda to fuel anti-British sentiment and increase colonial unity against British rule. -
Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773)
What it Did: Colonists, protesting the Tea Act, dumped an entire shipment of tea into Boston Harbor. Colonial Response: This act of defiance against British authority significantly escalated tensions between Britain and the colonies. -
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Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts) (March – June 1774)
The Intolerable Acts were a series of laws passed by the British Parliament to punish the colony of Massachusetts Bay for the Boston Tea Party. These measures were harsh and led to the convening of the First Continental Congress in September 1774 to coordinate a response. -
Boston Port Act (March 31, 1774)
The British Parliament closed Boston Harbor until the tea was paid for. This act helped unify the Thirteen Colonies in anger against the British Parliament. -
Massachusetts Government Act (May 20, 1774) - Administration of Justice Act (May 20, 1774)
Massachusetts Government Act: Restricted town meetings and altered the Massachusetts charter. Administration of Justice Act: Allowed British officials accused of crimes to be tried in Britain. -
Quartering Act (1774) (June 2, 1774)
Expanded the 1765 Quartering Act to allow British troops to be housed in private homes. -
Quebec Act (June 22, 1774)
The Quebec Act extended Quebec’s boundaries to the Ohio River Valley and granted religious freedom to Catholics in Quebec. It also established a non-elected governor and council. Colonists saw this as an attempt to undermine their land claims and as a threat to Protestantism and self-governance. They viewed it as a way to reintroduce old beliefs and values into their government.