What was the stamp act and sugar act?

Answer 1

The Stamp Act of 1765 was a law passed by the British Parliament that required the American colonists to pay for an official "stamp" on almost every piece of paper they used, from newspapers and pamphlets (pamphlets were one of the most important ways to spread news and opinion in those days), official documents such as wills and deeds, and even playing cards.

Parliament's Sugar Act of 1764 actually reduced the previous tax rate on molasses (the colonies' primary source of sugar), but because it added to the ability of customs officials to enforce the laws against smuggling, the total amount of the tax collected increased. The Sugar Act also required that certain products of the colonies, such as lumber, could only be exported to Britain; by restricting the market for these items, Britain made them less profitable for the colonies.

An important part of the Sugar Act was Parliament's statement that its purpose was to raise revenue from the colonies. It did not raise much concern at the time, but the passage of the Stamp Act just a year later did. The two acts were the first times Parliament had, without the approval of the colonial legislatures, imposed a tax on the colonies in order to raise revenue rather than as a means of regulating trade (as the previous tax on molasses had been). Many colonists believed that Parliament did not have the right to tax them since they could not elect representatives to Parliament. The slogan "No taxation without representation" expressed their views.