Question

What was the primary reason Parliament passed the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Townshend Acts in the years 1764, 1765, and 1767, respectively?

Options:
Option 1: To generate revenue to pay off war debts and maintain British control over the American colonies.
Option 2: To encourage colonial economic prosperity and reduce trade restrictions.
Option 3: To promote democratic principles and grant greater autonomy to the colonies.
Option 4: To establish fair trade practices between Britain and the American colonies.

Answer 1

The Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Townshend Acts were mostly intended to generate revenue for Britain to pay off debts from the Seven Years' War and to assert control over the American colonies.

Step-by-step explanation:

The primary reason Parliament passed the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Townshend Acts in the years 1764, 1765, and 1767, respectively, was Option 1: To generate revenue to pay off war debts and maintain British control over the American colonies. These acts were a series of regulations and duties imposed by Britain on the American colonies in the wake of the Seven Years' War. Specifically, the Sugar Act and Stamp Act intended to raise revenues to defray the costs of maintaining the colonies and paying off debts from the French and Indian War. The Townshend Acts, passed by Charles Townshend in 1767, further placed taxes on goods such as tea, glass, and paper to resolve war-related debts and to assert British control by creating a commissioner to enforce these laws in the colonies.