The first of the Navigation Acts was passed in 1651 and existed for almost two centuries to be fully repealed in 1849. The laws were designed to protect British economic interests in colonial trade and to protect its industry against the rapidly growing Dutch navigation trade. The law essentially dictated that British foreign trade was to be carried out only by English vessels. Favorably for American colonies, English referred to the nationality not the place of residence thus including colonial ships to conduct the trade. Additionally, a system of duties …

This was one of the first decisions of British Parliament that gave a real boost to organizers smuggling in New England colonies. Simultaneously it promoted corruption among customs officials. To crack down colonial trade with countries other than Britain, especially France, the government created a new tax of sixpence per gallon of molasses.
The Molasses Act of 1733 was enacted by the British Parliament on the 13 colonies of America with the purpose of protecting its sugar plantations in the West Indies. This act was not designed to raise revenue but …

This British law was an attempt to curb the smuggling that flourished in the colonies by reducing the previous tax rate and enforcing the collection of duties. It was introduced by the new British prime minister, George Grenville. The new law reduced the previous tax on sugar and molasses in half and allowed the customer to try violators in admiralty courts rather than local colonial courts. Because of the strict enforcement the act did accomplish it’s goal of reducing smuggling which affected colonial economy, especially in Massachusetts. The protests against the act were moderate, …

What was the Stamp Act?
The Stamp Act was a tax imposed by the British government on the American colonies. The primary goal was to raise money needed for military defenses of the colonies. The revenue was created by making the American population purchase stamps that became a legal requirement for all official documents, licenses, contract, newspapers and a long list of other paper items. The tax was payable in scarce silver and gold coins and not in paper money as was the most common method of payment in the colonies.

Stamps …

The first in the series of Quartering acts passed by the British parliament. The act required colonial assemblies to provide housing, food and drink to British troops stationed in their towns. This practice existed before and usually caused no resentment during war time, but after the war colonists became more reluctant. The new act went further and mandated that the towns and villages provided accommodations not only in public places as before, but also in taverns, inns and even personal houses when other options were not available. Needless to say such …

The law was named after Charles Tonshend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It was designed as a smarter way to raise revenue as opposite to the heavy-handed Stamp Act passed a year earlier. The new law introduced a series of duties on common imports (such as paper, paint, glass, etc.) rather than taxing income. The law also directed the proceeds from the new duties to governors rather than colonial assemblies. But despite the new tactics the Act was also extremely unpopular causing widespread protests and the subsequent response by the Britain …

The Tea Act, approved by the British Parliament on May 10, 1773, actually placed no new tax on tea and was not designed to increase revenue.  It was intended to benefit the East India Company by giving them the exclusive right to sell tea in the colonies, creating a monopoly which the colonists perceived as another means of “taxation without representation”.
The British government used the East India Company as a tool to spread its influence in India but in the early 1770s it was at the edge of bankruptcy. Its …

The Intolerable Acts also known as Coercive Acts were a package of five laws implemented by the British government with the purpose of restoring authority in its colonies. The first four Acts were passed as reprisal for the rebellion against the that led to the Boston Tea Party Protest.

The Intolerable Acts were a reprisal to the Boston Tea party rebellion.
The first act was The Boston Port Act which came into effect on March 31, 1774; it closed the port of Boston until the East India Tea company was repaid …