Sugar Act Dbq

After the Proclamation of 1763 came the Sugar Act of 1764. This Sugar Act was the first attempt to finance the defense of the colonies in the Seven Years War. The Sugar Act had originally been established in 1733 as the Molasses Act, but was to expire in 1763. The act was not heavily enforced prior to this point, letting smuggling slide, thus reducing potential for revenue (Mormul 436). This modified policy placed a tax not only on the importation of foreign molasses, but also on wines, coffee, cambric and printed calico. The act also allowed American exportation of lumber, iron, and many other commodities to foreign countries as long as these goods passed through British ports first. Parliament thought that the stopping of ships in British

In this policy, the British made it clear that they would rather do away with the colonies’ already existing paper money than deal with it through regulation, ergo forming an increased animosity toward the British. This act indirectly connects to the Stamp Act, which was enacted in 1765 to create even more revenue from the colonies. This act, in total, would apply a tax to fifty-four separate goods. These items include official paper products, such as marriage and legal documents, diplomas, business records and receipts, along with playing cards and dice. The highest tax was placed on license for attorneys, newspapers, and pamphlets, which were taxed at a rate of a penny per page. Land grants would grow as the size of the lease in the grant grew. This act was so encompassing that no colonist was left out - every single colonists would have to pay toward it, thus draining the nearly empty pockets of many. As a result, some British stamp agents were tarred and feathered by the colonists (Hakim 53), while some protests were simply the burning of stamps. The most damaging provision of the Stamp Act is what connects it to the Currency Act, in which it was stated that the tax must be paid in the hard currency proposed in the Currency Act (Morgan). The passing of the Stamp Act by Parliament enacted one of the most fundamental points that

Hoping to calm the rebellion and make amends with the colonists, Parliament, in addition to repealing the Stamp Act, repealed all other acts except for the Tea Act, leaving only one source of war debt revenue. The Tea Act took a hit with Parliament mistakenly thinking that the colonists would be pleased with cheap tea and lowering of the price of tea. However, it was viewed to be a direct funding of a British company, which did turn out to be true: “To help the company avoid bankruptcy, Parliament passed the Tea Act in May of 1773” (Walker 2008). Enraged by a combination of the Tea Act and the eventful Boston Massacre, the colonists went to the Boston Port and threw 342 chests of tea imported from Britain overboard, marking the famous historical event called the Boston Tea Party (History.com Staff). As a result of this rebellion, Parliament punished the colonies by passing the Intolerable Acts (Roland 287). Forming the overall Intolerable Acts are the Quartering Act, Massachusetts Governing Act, Boston Port Act, and the Administration of Justice Act. These acts included closing Boston Port, forcing the colonists to house British troops, suspending self-government in Massachusetts, and allowing trials to be relocated to Britain (Roland 287). The Intolerable Acts served as the last straw for the colonists, whom formed the Continental Congress in 1774 as a response. This Continental Congress brought delegates