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Proclamation of 1763
This proclamation, which was signed by King George III, forbade any and all English settlement west of the Appalachian mountains and required that any settlers already living there had to return to the East in order to make peace with the Native Americans. This angered colonists, and they felt betrayed by this. They felt they had earned the right to settle on that land because of all the colonial blood shed during the war. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was the first tax on American colonies by the British government. It increased the cost of many imported items, disrupting the economy in the Colonies. The act was passed in an attempt to end the smuggling trade in sugar and molasses from other countries. It lowered the tax on molasses, but increased the enforcement of the law. It raised taxes on most other things. In response to this act, colonists formed an organized boycott of most British goods. -
Currency Act
The Currency Act kept the colonists from issuing any and all legal paper money. This kept British merchants from being paid in depreciated colonial currency. The colonists protested against this, as they were already facing a shortage of money, and this new act only made it worse. This then resorted in the value of their money decreasing even more. -
Stamp Act
This act, the first to place a direct tax on the colonists, was passed as an attempt to help the British pay for the costs of the French and Indian War. It made colonists pay a tax on most forms of papers, playing cards, and important documents including deeds, marriage documents, wills, and court papers. The colonists reacted by boycotting British goods, and staging several protests. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Acts were a set of two acts that required colonial governments to to provide British soldiers with housing, food, and supplies. The colonists were angry about this Act. The colonists resented this act because they were being taxed to pay for barracks and army provisions. The act didn't cause the violent outbursts like the Stamp Act did, but the colonists still weren't happy. -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act stated that Britain could tax the colonists at any means necessary. This act was passed to affirm that power. It also stated that Parliament had the same amount of power in America that it does in Britain. This act was passed at the same time that the Stamp Act was repealed, which meant the colonists were so focused on their victory over the British, that they didn't spend much time thinking about this act and its consequences. -
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Townshend Acts
This was a set of acts that taxed things like British china, glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea imported to the colonies. This was the final straw for the colonists, and they then began boycotting British goods. -
The Boston Massacre
A deadly riot occurred on King Street in Boston. It began as a simple street brawl between British soldiers and American colonists, but quickly escalated. The colonists were protesting their city being occupied by British troops. Colonists began throwing snowballs at the soldiers, and Private Hugh Montgomery was hit, causing him to fire into the crowd. Then the other soldiers began firing, and once it was all said and done, 5 colonists were dead/dying and 3 others were injured. -
Tea Act
This act was out out by Parliament. The goal of this act was to reduce the large amount of tea that the British East India Company (which was financially struggling) had in its warehouses. This Act resulted in the Boston Tea Party seven months later. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political/mercantile protest done by the Sons of Liberty. This was to protest Parliament's Tea Act of 1773. American patriots, disguised as Mohawk Indians, threw 342 chests of tea overboard into the harbor. This tea belonged to the British East India Company. -
The Boston Port Bill
This Bill was one of the Coercive/Intolerable Acts, which was a series of five measures that were put into effect during the Spring of 1774. These measures were enacted to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party. This bill closed the port of Boston until all the tea was paid for. This threatened the city, because if the colonists did not have access to the sea, economic disaster would quickly strike.
