American_Revolution__British_Acts

American Revolution: British Acts British Legislative Acts vs. America The 18th century proved to be a time of rapid change and growing hostility between the American colonies and Great Britain, largely due to many new tax laden acts being passed in Parliament. These acts, such as the Molasses Act, the Proclamation of 1763, the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, and the Coercive Acts, combined caused the colonists to be disobedient to the Crown, and helped plant seeds of independence. We must further look at each individual act and determine the response to, and consequences of each. The beginning of the 18th century was a relatively conflict free time between the colonists and England. In 1733, the British parliament passed the Molasses Act, which put heavy taxes on imported molasses, except that from the British controlled West Indies. This act was clearly placed on the colonists for British profit; mercantilism at its best. If the sugar industry thrived, British nobleman and investors thrived, and therefore more money was pumped into Britain’s economy. The colonial response was one of a subdued, prospering nation. “Oh, that’s OK, we deserve to pay a small tax to our mother country.” Although a few took matters into their own american, revolution, act, colonists, tax, british, acts, parliament, passed, war, sugar, stamp, britain, proclamation, new, molasses, though, tea, rights, response, placed, pay, own, money, land, england, defiance, colonies, coercive, century, between, americans, america, although, 18th, 1765, 1763, townshend, took, together, time, thrived, three, thousand, revenue, opposite, nation, miles, matters, made, legislative, lack