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Sugar Act of 1764
The Sugar Act was a three-penny tax for each pound of sugar imposed on the colonies in order to stop smuggling from the West Indies, as well as raise money for the government. The colonists reacted by boycotting multiple items and shifting to more locally produced products. The British repealed the Act in 1765. -
Currency Act
The Currency Act abolished the colonies' use of paper money, as the British wanted more control over the economy. The effects of the Act actually led to more harm, as the colonists had even less hard money when they were already shorted of it. The colonies protested against the Act, but England kept the act in place. -
Stamp Act of 1765
The Stamp Act required British stamps to be on all things printed on paper (besides books), which had to have been paid for. This was a way to get more money to pay off the war debt, and it replaced the Sugar Act from the year before. Colonists at the time rioted, and, in one case, hanged a stamp distributor and raided his house. Britain repealed the act, but not before passing the Declaratory Act; that England had the power to pass any laws over the colonists. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act required colonists to station troops in their homes and pay for anything they needed. Colonists were outraged and didn't appreciate the Act, which led to its expiring in 1770. -
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Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were a group of acts, pertaining mostly to the taxing of imports such as lead, glass, paint, tea, and paper to the colonies. Boycotts and protests led the British government to station soldiers in the colonies' largest cities. These soldiers led to incidents such as the Boston Massacre, the same event that repealed these acts.
