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Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 prohibited forbade colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. This angered the Colonists, especially those who had already settled there as they were required to relocated to the east side of the Appalachian Mountains. The British were all for this as they hoped to conciliate with the Native Americans who were against them in the Seven Years' War. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act required Colonists to pay a tax of six pence for every gallon on the importation of foreign molasses. As always, the British were happy about this. The Sugar Act was meant to close off illegal trade and smuggling and make the Americans pay for their own protection. The Colonists were upset about the new taxes they had to pay, especially having to pay taxes without their consent. Because of this act, the Colonists started to protest. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act required all Colonists to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used, including ship's papers, legal documents, newspapers, and even playing cards were taxed. The Colonists were angered by this as they believed that, if anything, it should be their own legislature who should tax them, not the British Parliament. The Colonists protested and after a few months and an appeal by Benjamin Franklin, the Parliament repealed the Act. -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act claimed that Britain had the right to tax the American colonies. It stated that the British Parliament's taxing authority was the same in America as in Great Britain. This didn't convince the colonists and only pronounced the idea of a revolution even more because it seemed to violate the Bill of Rights of 1689. This act was a reaction of British Parliament to the failure of the Stamp Acts and they wanted more control over the colonies. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend Acts were a series of taxes and laws imposed upon the Colonists. This helped to reignite anger in the colonies against England, which helped start the Revolutionary War and free America from Britain. As always, the British enacted this to pay for the British troops in America. These acts eventually resulted in the Boston Massacre.
