At the time that the Stamp act was repealed, the Declaratory Act
was introduced to the colonists. The Act stated that Parliament had
complete and total authority over the colonies. It said that Parliament
had the power to make laws to govern the colonies, to tax them, and
rule the colonies the same way as England. When the colonists found
out about the Act, they were outraged.
The sugar act was the first act after the French Indian war,
which was in place to gain money back after the heavy costs
of the French Indian war. Unlike other Acts hence forth the
sugar act was strictly enforced. Even though England had obtain
new land the American colonist were not able to settle in these
new spaces because the British thought that there were too many
natural resources. They British did not want the Americas to become to rich.
Parliament levied a tax on legal and commercial documents as
well as printed material such as newspapers and pamphlets, all
of which had to carry a special stamp. If your document did not
have the special stamp you could be fined or jailed. The money
collected went directly to England.
The British government still needed money from the colonist.
Because the colonists were upset of the stamp act, they sent
Benjamin Franklin to plead their case. He told Parliament that
the colonists opposed it because it was an internal but would
accept external tax. The British then placed a tax on lead, glass,
paper, paint, and tea. This enraged colonist, so intern they did
Advertised that British Red coats unlawfully attacked and killed
innocent Americans. This only added to the hatred to the British who
were being taunted for months this was know as "The Boston Massacre."
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