Sugar Act Dbq Essay

526 Words3 Pages

During the 1700s, the British Parliament used their authority to make laws regarding tax collection. One of these was the Molasses Act of 1733, but it did not work well. This was because the tax was not collected and people refused to pay it. During King George the third rule the Sugar Act, which was passed on April 5, 1764, replaced the Molasses Act. The background, purpose, and effect of the Sugar Act must be explained to understand the economic impact on the American colonies. First, the Sugar Act was mainly about controlling the trade of rum. Rum was a profitable product, and rum was made from molasses. The molasses was imported into the colonies in large amounts from large plantation owners in the British West Indies and used for rum. Great Britain was providing cheap labor from Africa and making them work in the sugarcane plantations in the West Indies. From there, the West Indies sent the molasses to the colonies in America. The colonists were required to pay tax on the molasses and this would bring money to the British Parliament. This tax was reduced by half compared to the previous Molasses Act. Next, the purpose of the Sugar Act was to raise money for the military expenses. The Prime Minster, George Grenville, strictly enforced the tax collection. He established courts for people who did not pay their …show more content…

The Sugar Act, also known as the American Revenue Act or the American Duties Act, was one of the laws that led to anger, dislike, disagreement, and eventually revolution in Colonial America. Another effect was an increase in smuggling and crime in the colonies. The colonists did not want to pay the outrageous taxes so they looked for ways not to have to pay. A third effect was the colonists decided to stop buying luxury products from Great Britain and looked to local manufacturers for their products. They did this to avoid paying the high