British Acts & Taxation on Colonies
1. Writs of Assistance
search warrants designed to limit illegal
smuggling of goods into the colonies from
other nations, argued to be contrary to
natural law (James Otis)
2. Sugar (Revenue) Act (1764)
designed to raise revenue through taxes on
imported goods, violators were tried before
admiralty court w/o due process of jury
3. Quartering Act
Required Americans to pay/provide for
British soldiers stationed in colonies
4. Currency Act (1764)
forbade currency not redeemable in gold or
silver, made it difficult for colonists to avoid
money drains that British mercantile policies
were supposed to create
5. Stamp Act (1765)
o first direct tax on Americans
required Americans to purchase revenue
stamps on any documents or paper
products
o short-sighed, overlooks mercantilist
advantage already provided by British
economy
6. Declaratory Act (1766)
o passed with the repeal of the Stamp Act
o states that Britain can tax Americans "in
all cases whatsoever", thereby eliminating
American right to no taxation without
representation
7. Townshend Duties
o creates Admiralty Courts to try violations,
use of Writs of Assistance, paying customs
officials out of the fines levied
o suspended New York legislature for
noncompliance with the Quartering Act
8. Tea Act (1773)
o British East India Company gets
permission to ship tea directly to the
colonies rather than through Britain
(Americans are smuggling in Dutch tea,
hurting BEI Company)
o
British tea would be cheaper, even with
the tax, than smuggled tea, hope that
Americans will accept Britain's right to
tax them
o Americans strongly resist, sometimes
don't even allow tea ships to land
9. Coercive Acts
o known in colonies as the "Intolerable
Acts"
o set of four acts under one title
o Boston Port Act closes Boston harbor
until colonists pay for lost tea (which they
don't)
o Massachusetts Government Act increases
power of the royal governor at the
expense of the legislature
o Administration of Justice Act allows royal
officials convicted of crimes to be tr ied in
Britain, greater chances of aquittal
o Quartering Act (2nd) allows Gen. Thomas
Gage (governor) to quarter troops
anywhere, including private/unoccupied
homes
o