Question

Name 3 of the Acts that Parliament created to either tax the colonists or punished them. Describe what each of the acts did.

Answer 1

The Stamp Act directly taxed printed materials, the Townshend Acts taxed imports like glass and tea and strengthened customs enforcement, and the Coercive Acts severely punished Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party.

Step-by-step explanation:

Parliamentary Acts Taxing or Punishing the Colonists

Several acts passed by the British Parliament were aimed at taxing or punishing the American colonists. Below are three notable acts:

Stamp Act: This direct tax imposed by Parliament in 1765 required colonists to pay taxes on a wide array of printed materials, including newspapers, almanacs, pamphlets, and legal documents. The overarching goal was to raise funds to pay for British troops in the colonies.

Townshend Acts: Enacted in 1767, this series of acts placed duties on colonial imports of items like glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. Notably, it also established a new system of customs commissioners to enforce these duties, exacerbating tensions with colonists over perceived infringement of their rights.

Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts): In response to the Boston Tea Party of 1773, Parliament passed these punitive measures in 1774 to punish Massachusetts. They included the Boston Port Act that closed down Boston Harbor and other acts that severely curtailed the liberties of Massachusetts's inhabitants and their local governance.