Question

Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World.

In 1733, Parliament ruled that an extra six cents must be added to the price of every gallon of molasses that did not come from an English source. If the colonists actually followed the rules of the Molasses Act, it would have terrible consequences. Molasses from French islands would now be too expensive—merchants could never make a profit. So they would have to turn to the English, who would surely raise their prices. This one law could cripple the entire North American trade with the sugar islands—if, that is, the colonists or the French followed the rules. But of course they did just the opposite.

The Molasses Act accomplished nothing except to make Americans better smugglers. Yet the act was renewed again and again—until the crucial year of 1763. Just as the Molasses Act was due to expire, England completed its victory over France in the global contest known as the Seven Years’ War (the segment of that war fought in North America is often called the French and Indian War). To pay for the war, the prime minister decided to put some teeth into the legislation. Now called the Sugar Act, the law was designed to make sure the American colonists stopped smuggling and paid their sugar tax.

Which details do the authors include to support the claim in this passage? Select three options.

an explanation of the results of the Seven Years’ War
an explanation of how the Molasses Act benefited colonists
an explanation of what was being taxed and how much it cost
an explanation of why the Americans smuggled molasses
an explanation of why the British imposed the Sugar Act

Answer 1

The passage provides details on the economic impact of the Molasses Act, the rationale behind the Americans' smuggling activities, and the British government's enforcement of the Sugar Act to raise revenue and curb smuggling.

Step-by-step explanation:

The details included in the passage to support the claim that the Molasses Act had unintended consequences for the British and fostered smuggling among the American colonists are:

• An explanation of what was being taxed and how much it cost, which demonstrates the direct economic impact of the Molasses Act prompting colonial resistance.
• An explanation of why the Americans smuggled molasses, which shows that high costs of non-English molasses made smuggling a more profitable alternative.
• An explanation of why the British imposed the Sugar Act, which was to enforce tax collection more stringently and raise revenue to cover the costs of the Seven Years' War. Furthermore, this act reduced the need for smuggling by lowering duties.

The passage also discusses how the Sugar Act replaced the Molasses Act and aimed to eliminate smuggling by making sugar from British colonies more financially viable. Additionally, it highlights the increase in enforcement measures with the Sugar Act which included moving trials to vice-admiralty courts without juries, thereby increasing the powers of the British government and further igniting colonial grievances.

Answer 2

the correct answer is

c) an explanation of what was being taxed and how much it cost

d) an explanation of why the Americans smuggled molasses

e) an explanation of why the British imposed the Sugar Act