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The Proclamation
The end of the French and Indian War in 1763 was a cause for great celebration in the colonies, for it removed several impressions that something bad might happen and barriers opened up a host of new opportunities for the colonists. The French had effectively turned over in the British settlers and had, from the point of view of the settlers, played the "Indians" against them. -
The Sugar Act
Parliament passed a modified version of the Sugar and Molasses Act which was about to end. merchants had been required to pay a tax of six pence per gallon on the importation of foreign molasses.But because of corruption, they mostly evaded the taxes and undercut the intention of the tax that the English product would be cheaper than that from the French West Indies that hurt the British West Indies market in molasses and sugar and the market for rum. -
The Stamp Act
On February 6th, 1765 George Grenville rose in Parliament to offer the 55 resolutions of his Stamp Bill. A motion was offered to first read formal written request from the Virginia colony and others was canceled. The bill was passed and approved by the Lords on March 8th, and two weeks later ordered in effect by the King. The Stamp Act was Parliament's first serious attempt to assert over the colonies. Great Britain was faced with a massive debt following the Seven Years of War. -
Stamp Act Congress
"No taxation without representation!" people said, the colonists were not merely griping about the Sugar Act & the Stamp Act. They intended to place actions behind their words. One thing was clear, no colony acting alone could effectively convey a message to the king and Parliament. The appeals to Parliament by the individual legislatures had been ignored. It was James Otis who suggested an intercolonial conference to agree on united course of action. The Stamp Act Congress created in New York. -
The Declaratory Act
Its is an act for securing the dependency of the Majesty's control in America upon the crown and parliament of Great Britain. -
The Townshend Revanue Act
An act of granting certain jobs in the British colonies and plantations in America. Allowing a drawback of the duties of customs upon the export the kingdom, of coffee and cocoa nuts of the produce of the said colonies or plantations. -
Boston Non-Importation agreement
The merchants and traders in the town of Boston having taken into a payment/reward for deplorable situation of the trade, and the many difficulties it at present labours under on account of the shortage of supplies of money, which is daily increasing for want of the other some of money sent by mail to our debts in Great Britain, and the large sums collected by the officers of the customs for duties on goods imported. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a street fight that occurred on March 5, 1770, between a "patriot" mob, throwing snowballs, stones, & sticks, and a squad of British soldiers. Several colonists were killed and this led to a campaign by speech-writers to rouse the ire of the citizenry. This also began where 50 people started attacking the British sentinel and one of the officers called in additional soldiers, and these too were attacked, so the soldiers fired into the mob, killing 3 on the spot wound 8. -
The Tea Act
The act was not intended to raise income in the American colonies, it was to force all no new taxes. It was made to prop up the Company (east India) which was floundering financially and burdened with eighteen million pounds of unsold tea. This tea was to be shipped directly to the colonies, and sold at a bargain price.