4 NEW BRITISH TAXES

THE SUGAR ACT 1764

This law put a tax on sugar. It also listed specific goods (for example: lumber) that the colonies could only sell to England and to no other countries.

Although other laws passed years before the Sugar Act had similar requirements, they had not been enforced.

Now that England needed to raise more money to pay off its debts from the French and Indian War, England hired offi cials to collect these taxes and make sure people followed the law.

THE QUARTERING ACT 1764

This law said that colonists had to give British soldiers a place to stay, as well as candles, firewood, sheets, blankets, cooking utensils, salt, vinegar, and beer.

The governments of each colony had to pay for British soldiers to stay in inns, boarding houses, or empty barns.

THE STAMP ACT1765

This law said that anything made of paper had to have a special stamp on it, and the stamp had to be bought. For example, newspapers, licenses, and playing cards all had to have stamps on them. This made buying anything made of paper a lot more expensive for the colonists.

THE TOWNSHEND ACT1767

This law taxed certain things the colonists bought from Britain. These were items that the colonists used all the time, such as glass, paint, paper, and tea.

 (Remember, the Navigation Acts said that the

colonies were only allowed to buy these things from Britain. They were not allowed to buy things like glass, paint, paper, and tea from any another country, so they were forced to pay the Townshend Act taxes.)

COLONISTS RESPOND TO NEW TAXES

PROTEST[VERB] To show or express strong disapproval of something, sometimes at a public event with other people.Patriots protested the Tea Act by dumping British tea into Boston Harbor.

[NOUN] The act, action, or event of protesting. Yesterday there was a protest against the War in Afghanistan.

VOCABULARY

REVOLT

[VERB] To fight in a violent way against the authority of a leader or government.

In the American Revolution, the colonists revolted against the British.

[NOUN] The act, action, or event of revolting

Bacon’s Rebellion was a famous revolt in the 1600s.

VOCABULARY

REBEL[VERB] To oppose or fight against the government or people in power.After England passed laws that the colonists thought were unfair, the colonists got ready to rebel against the British.

[NOUN FORM] Rebellion: The act, action, or event of rebelling.Slave owners were always afraid that their slaves would organize a rebellion against their masters.

VOCABULARY

Why do you think people rebel, revolt, and protest? What do you think they hope to achieve by rebelling, revolting, or protesting?

JOURNAL

Smuggle

To move something from one place to another illegally and secretly.

Boycott

To refuse to buy a product as a form of protest.

4 MORE VOCAB WORDS…

Riot

A group of people behaving in

a violent or uncontrolled way

to express disapproval or

disagreement with something.

Tar and Feather

When colonists poured hot tar

on someone’s (usually a tax

collector’s) bare skin, rolled

him around in chicken

feathers, and put him on a

cart to parade him around the

town to be embarrassed.

AngerSmugglingBoycottsSome violence against tax

collectorsMade their own products (such as

clothes) instead of buying from England

“No Taxation without Representation”

Actions WERE effective! Sugar Act was repealed in 1766

COLONISTS’ RESPONSE TO THE SUGAR ACT OF 1764

Anger & resentment

Some colonists (especially in NY) refused to follow the laws.

Actions WERE effective!

Quartering Act expired in 1770 & was never renewed.

COLONISTS’ RESPONSE TO THE QUARTERING ACT OF 1764

Some colonists refused to pay the the tax

Petitions

Tarred & feathered tax collectors (violence)

Protests in the street

Actions WERE effective!

Stamp Act was repealed in 1766

COLONISTS’ RESPONSE TO THE STAMP ACT OF 1765

Harassed & bullied tax collectors

Boycott

Colonists & merchants agreed not to buy stuff from England

Peer-Policing

Colonists harassed & bullied merchants who didn’t boycott

Actions were MOSTLY SUCCESSFUL Parliament repealed most of the Townshend Act in

1770, but the tax on tea remained…

COLONISTS’ RESPONSE TO THE TOWNSHEND ACT OF

1767

Year Act/Law Summary of Act Picture that

Represents the Act

How Colonists Reacted

1764 Sugar Act Taxed sugar. Colonists could sell certain things only to Britain and to no other countries.

1764 Quartering Act

Colonists had to give housing & food to British soldiers.

1765 Stamp Act Taxed everything made of paper.

1767 Townshend Act

Taxed glass, paint, paper, & tea. Colonists could only buy these things from England and from no other countries.

Anger, smuggling, boycotts, some violence, colonists made their own stuff

Anger and resentmentSome refused to follow law

Refused to pay the tax, petitions, tarred & feathered tax collectors, protests in the street

- Harassed & bullied tax collectors- Boycotts- Protests in the street- Peer policing: harassed & bullied merchants who didn’t follow the boycott