Important Acts Leading to the American Revolution

Important Acts Leading to the American Revolution Purpose Result Navigation Acts – All imports and exports must go through England To Regulate trade in Colonies Resented it at first, later ignored it – Triangular Trade Proclamation of 1763 – cannot settle west of the Appalachian Mts. To stop fighting between Natives and colonist Angered colonists, later they ignored it; 10,000 British troops sent to enforce it, colonist had to pay for it Sugar Act – tax on molasses To stop smuggling and bribes; to get out of debt No reaction from colonists Stamp Act – tax on legal documents, newspapers, cards, dice To get out of debt Colonist tarred/feathered custom agents, boycott, Stamp Act repealed Declaratory Act - Parliament has the right to raise taxes To show colonists that parliament still had the right to tax them Colonists so overjoyed about the repeal of Stamp Act they ignored the Declaratory Act

Important Acts Leading to the American Revolution (con’t) Purpose Result Townshend Acts (1767) Taxed glass, paper, silk, lead, and tea; set up new ways to collect taxes – started writs of assistance Protests – signed nonimportation agreements to stop importing goods taxed by Act; British troops sent to protect tax collectors; repealed in 1770; kept tax on tea Quartering Act (1767) Colonist had to provide housing, candles, bedding, and beverages to British soldiers stationed in colonies New York assembly refused to obey it; royal officials dismissed the group; Boston Massacre; Soldiers fired into a crowd of protestors Tea Act (1773) did away with taxes paid by British East India Company on tea, let them sell directly to colonist – meant to help them with dept Boycotted tea; Boston Tea Party; Sons of Liberty dressed as Indians and dumped tea into Boston harbor

Important Acts Leading to the American Revolution (con’t) Purpose Result Intolerable Acts Punishment for MA; shut down port of Boston until the tea was paid for; forbade town meetings without permission; allowed customs officers charged with crimes to be tried in Britain; included new Quartering Act First Continental Congress held (1774) backed MA; decided to create militias Quebec Act (1774) Set up a government for Canada and redrew boundaries