The Influence Of The Quartering Act

The British empire had established many colonies across the east border of the New World. The British viewed these colonies as an essential source of new materials and paid the colonists off in monopolies. When the British colonists landed in America, they considered themselves as a part of Great Britain. They lived by the Salutary Neglect, “trade regulations for the colonies were laxly enforced and imperial supervision of internal colonial affairs was loose” (Wallenfeldt). This allowed the British to remain in control of the American Colonists. The colonists were loyal to Britain and “cherished their Constitution, an unwritten system of government that they celebrated as the best political system in the world” (OpenStax, Chp. 5, pg. 130).
In 1764 Grenville enforced the Sugar Act, this act raised the tax on molasses. Colonists started to smuggle in goods from other countries in an attempt to avoid paying high priced taxes, but the British Empire felt that they should be the only suppliers of the colonists and enforced their authority. The British Empire forced colonists to “buy a revenue stamp” (OpenStax, Chp. 5 pg. 131) for any piece of paper that was a legal document by creating the Stamp Act in 1765. Along with this act the Quartering Act went into place enforcing the colonists to pay for the British troops housing within the colonies. In 1767 the Townshend act took place, this placed external taxes on paper, paint, lead, glass, and tea. These acts infuriated the colonies and it led to their desire to fight for
Due to living a life without strict rules the colonists felt they were “happy under Great Britain” and only wanted to be presented with “the choice of independency” (Otis). When the French and Indian War ended, the relationship between the American colonists and Great Britain slowly started to deteriorate. The different acts started to expose the British American colonies to the fact that they were under “full power and authority” of Great Britain (Declaratory Act). After the war, the colonists were forced to pay for the remaining troops lodging, but they found this to be unfair since there was not a need for them. American colonies had to rely on Great Britain for their goods and supplies to be imported to them, but then Great Britain decided to add taxes to these imported items. This caused the colonists to start smuggling in items from other countries. As a result, Great Britain enforced the Sugar Act. This act took away the colonists’ liberty to a fair trial against their peers because when they were caught smuggling in items, they were sent straight to the vice-admiralty court. During the Stamp Act the first group of protesters came together to create the Sons and Daughters of Liberty. Enraged with anger their protests were brutal, destructive, and encouraged others to boycott all British items. When the Stamp Act was finally removed the