Sugar Act 1764

E41670

The Sugar Act of 1764 was a British revenue-raising law that tightened customs enforcement and imposed duties on sugar and molasses in the American colonies, contributing to growing colonial resentment before the American Revolution.


Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Act of Parliament of Great Britain
British revenue act
colonial trade law
appliedTo British American colonies
New England colonies
authorized vice-admiralty courts without juries
contributedTo colonial resentment toward British taxation
ideological origins of the American Revolution
countryOfOrigin Kingdom of Great Britain
criticizedBy James Otis Jr.
Massachusetts colonial assembly
Samuel Adams
criticizedFor taxation without representation
dateEnacted 1764-04-05
fiscalPurpose raise revenue from American colonies
reduce British national debt after Seven Years' War
hasOfficialName American Revenue Act of 1764
hasShortName Sugar Act
historicalPeriod prelude to the American Revolution
imposedDutyOn cambric
certain wines
coffee
foreign rum
indigo
molasses
pimento
printed calicoes
sugar
textiles
introducedConcept taxation for revenue rather than regulation
legislativeBody Parliament of Great Britain
majorImpactOn New England rum industry
colonial shipping
triangular trade
partOf British imperial reforms after Seven Years' War
policyGoal regulate trade with French and Spanish West Indies
tighten customs enforcement in American colonies
precededBy Molasses Act 1733
reducedDutyRateOn foreign molasses
foreign sugar
relatedTo Stamp Act 1765
Townshend Acts
repealed 1766
repealedBy Revenue Act 1766
restricted colonial trade with non-British Caribbean colonies
signedBy King George III
strengthened customs enforcement mechanisms
tookEffectOn 1764-09-29
yearEnacted 1764

Referenced by (6)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
George Grenville
George Grenville ("American Duties Act 1764")
notableWork
British colonial authorities
enforcedLaw
Stamp Act 1765
follows
Sugar Act 1764 ("American Revenue Act of 1764")
hasOfficialName
Sugar Act 1764 ("Sugar Act")
hasShortName

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