Timeline
How and why did the colonists reject the authority of Parliament?They wanted the right to vote about their own taxes, like the people living in Britain. But no colonists were permitted to serve in the British Parliament. So they protested that they were being taxed without being represented. In seventeen sixty-four, the British Parliament approved the Sugar Act.
What reason did British Parliament give for imposing taxes on colonies after 1760?Parliament passed the Stamp Act on March 22, 1765, to pay down a national debt approaching £140,000,000 after defeating France in the Seven Years War (1763). A year earlier, Parliament passed the Sugar Act, their first revenue-raising measure. Both taxes promised dire consequences in a post-war economy.
What actions did Parliament take in response to the colonists opposition?In angry response, Parliament passed in 1774 a series of punitive measures, known in America as the Intolerable Acts, which closed Boston harbour and strengthened the power of the royal governor over the rebellious Massachusetts legislative assembly.
Why did Parliament restrict American colonial trade?Why might parliament want to restrict American colonial trade? British wanted to keep the country under their control. Trading with other countries would make the colonies too powerful.
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