Questions/
Connections/
Observations
The Townshend Acts
Summarize
After the problems caused by the Stamp Act, the British government still needed money.
Also, they wanted to bring the colonists back into line and make sure they knew that
the Crown was in charge. What happened next was known as The Townshend Acts.
Back in England, the king's financial minister, Charles Townshend, made some
suggestions to the government that he felt might benefit the Crown.
1. Why is the crown capitalized in the 3rd line?
2. Who is it referring to?
3. Who is Charles Townshend?
4. Why did he suggest the Townshend Acts?
A series of laws based on Townshend's suggestions were approved by Parliament. These
acts did the following:

Colonists had to house British troops, and provide food as well as shelter.

Taxes were placed on some goods brought into the colonies

To enforce the taxes, Parliament issued writs of assistance. These were search
warrants British officers could use to enter homes or businesses in search of
smuggled goods.
Also, jobs were beginning to be lost by the colonists because British soldiers, who were
paid very poorly, had begun to accept jobs on the side at lower wages than colonists
had been paid. These were the same British soldiers the colonists had to house and feed.
Gradually, colonists were beginning to dislike the British soldiers even more.
5. Who do you think is Parliament? Zigzag line under the clues.
6. What were the writs of assistance?
7. What are wages? Zigzag line under the clues.
8. What are smuggled goods? Zigzag line under the clues.
Two important groups were created: the Sons of Liberty and the Daughters of Liberty.
The Sons of Liberty asked merchants not to sell British goods at all. The Daughters of
Liberty encouraged woman to weave their own cloth and to use American made
goods. That way, the colonists would not have to pay taxes on the British goods and
the British companies would lose money.
9. What is a merchant? Zigzag line under the clues.
10. Why did the colonists start making their own things?