Explain The Tension Between Great Britain And The Colonies From 1763 To 1776

The Sugar act got created in 1764. It lowered the tax on molasses. It listed foreign goods to be taxed comprised of sugar, certain wines and coffee, pimento. “the Molasses Act colonial merchants (people who traded and owned shops in the colonies) were required to pay a tax of six-pence per gallon on the importation of foreign molasses.”

The colonies were tired of too much taxation. They were tired of getting bossed around and paying too much just for a cup of tea. They finally decided to venture to the “new world” and fought for their freedom. The colonies said they would be an independent and self governed colony, not tax their colonists too much and be free finally from

The Prime Minister George Grenville created the Sugar Act of 1764. This act placed a tax on sugar while lowering the tax on molasses. The colonists grew livid. The colonists believed that this tax was paying for the problems in Britain and not in the colonies, so they believed it was unfair of them to have

The British colonies in the Americas were forced to pay taxes by the British government. The colonies did not want to pay taxes because, they found it unfair to pay taxes to a government that they had no say in. The colonies fought for their rights in protests and petitions under the slogan “No Taxation Without Representation” the British government did not give in, leading to all out warfare and the creation of a new nation: that inspired many other revolutions, created the first successful enlightenment democracy, and had a very bloody Civil War. All this prompts us to ask ourselves: What if the British government had given given the American colonies a seat in parliament?

“Taxation Without Representation”         American colonists thought that Britain was taxing them unfairly for the expenses caused during the French and Indian war or that Parliament had the right to tax them since there weren’t any American colonies represented in Parliament. Since the American colonists drank a lot of tea, Britain decided to impose taxes on the American colonies. Because the taxes increased, the American colonists started to smuggle tea from the Dutch and other European countries. The Boston Tea Party was the first significant act of defiance by American colonists and was one of the things that lead to the start of the American Revolution, which began in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775.        

The relationship between Britain and its American colonies was civil at first but began to strain in the mid-1700’s. In the beginning, Britain ruled colonies with little involvement because they were busy dealing with the French and Indian War among other things. As a result of this, the colonies were typically left in charge of themselves with little interference from British authorities. After years of being left alone, the colonists had developed a feeling of freedom and independence. When the war ended there was a significant change in the relations between England and the colonies.

To indicate that the tax was paid, a stamp was put on the paper product. The colonists were not too enthusiastic about the tax. The colonists opposed the stamp act because they believed it was “taxation without representation.” After the American colonists began being taxed

Throughout American history, societies have developed, grown, and evolved. Aspects of society, such as culture, religion, politics, and the economy were major factors in early societal development and these influences varied depending on the time period and geographical location. Slavery has been a central aspect of Spanish, French, and English societies since their early development and the institution of slavery in America lasted until its abolishment in 1865. Thus, as societies evolve, the practices, beliefs, and lifestyles become rooted in the populace of the period. Due to decades and centuries of economic and cultural development, lifestyle and societal practices are difficult to alter.

The colonists felt that if they did not fight the stamp act, this could in fact open the door for much worse taxation efforts in the future. It was not until the Virginia House of Burgesses adopted Patrick Henry’s Stamp Act Resolves. This brought about taxation without their own representatives present when the tax was enacted. What is worse is that any colonists that were found not abiding to the Stamp Act, were able to be convicted without juries in the vice admiralty courts (Stamp Act, History.com). There was an instance where the colonists acted on their own accord.

They all wanted freedom, equal rights, and respect. When the British began to tax the colonist, they became extremely upset and enraged, and because of this the revolution began. The colonists were unified, but also divided. Many of them were fearful for their independence because it would cause problems and turmoil with the new country. They were also divided because imported printing goods were being taxed.

James Otis, a lawyer from Massachusetts, once said they could not “take from any man any part of his property, without his consent in person or representation”. The Sugar Act, also called the American Revenue Act or the American Duties Act, is an act that the Parliament of Great Britain passed on April 5, 1764, to tax the colonists. This act taxed the colonists on sugar and molasses. There are many purposes in the Sugar Act. The Sugar Act reduced the tax of molasses from six pence, pence is the plural form of penny from the British, to three pence.

The sugar act puts tax on molasses, sugar and other products imported from places outside the British empire. A similar act called the molasses act (of 1733) taxed foreign molasses and rum from entering the mainland colonies. Rather than pay the tax fees (Due to the taxes being too high and the British government not enforcing it) the colonist continued sneaking in molasses until 1766. The Stamp act made colonist purchase and use special watermarked stamps for things such as newspapers, legal documents, college diplomas and playing cards.

The colonists wanted representation when it came down to being taxed, but the British government would not allow it. The government wanted full control over the people, so they made sets of acts and laws that were placed on taxation. For example, the Stamp Acts of 1765. These acts taxed all papers, pamphlets, newspapers, and cards. The Townshend Acts of 1767 were also a large part of taxation.

British policies established in 1763-1776 greatly affected the colonists and pushed them towards developing their own republican values. All of the acts and taxes the British issued and how overly controlling the British were over the colonists was the starting point, also the increasing rebellions encouraged the colonists to break away from Britain’s rule, and finally the wars that resulted and seizing authority from the British was the final turning point for the colonists in eliminating Britain’s heavy-handed ruling over the colonists. The acts, and taxes that came with most of the acts, that the English imposed on the colonists was a substantial reason the colonists opposed British rule. After the French and Indian war the British found

Then when the Stamp Act was overthrown, the tea tax was put in place by the British, for no beneficial financial reason, just because they could. The colonists needed to revolt and break away, but the British refused to understand that, which is what caused them to go to war. During the war, the British were still taking advantage of the fact that they had control over the colonists. One of the ways they would show this is by quartering the colonists homes. British soldiers would come into a town and need a place to stay.