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The sugar act was a law passed by the British Parliament in 1764 changing the tax on molasses imported by the colonists. The Sugar Act actually lowered the rate of the tax but increased the amount of tax collected because it added to the ability of customs officials to enforce the law, so that smuggling molasses into the colonies to avoid the tax (previously quite common) became both less profitable and more dangerous. The stamp act placed a tax on almost all printed material in the colonies - everything from newspapers and pamphlets to wills and playing cards.

What was most important about the sugar and stamp acts is that they 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 thought this was unconstitutional; under the British Constitution, subjects could be taxed only by decision of their elected legislature, the House of Commons of Parliament. Since the colonists were not allowed to elect representatives to Parliament, they reasoned that only their colonial legislatures and not Parliament had the right to tax them.

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Was the stamp act before or after the sugar act?

After. The stamp act was added in 1765 and the sugar act was improved in 1764.


How the stamp act different from the sugar act?

The Stamp Act required that many printed materials in the American colonies be produced on paper made in London with a tax stamp. The Sugar Act was a tax on sugar and molasses.


What happened with the sugar and stamp act?

molasses, sugar, and basically anything sweet was taxed by the sugar act.


What act happened first the stamp act or the sugar act?

the sugar act came first


Why was the stamp act different from the sugar act?

the sugar act is when the government taxes you on sweets like sugar and molassess. the stamp act is when the government taxes you on paper products.


What happened before the sugar act?

stamp act


How are the stamp act and the sugar act different?

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How are the stamp act and sugar act different?

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How were the sugar and stamp act different?

Well, for one, the stamp act taxed STAMPS and other commonalities, while the sugar act taxed SUGAR and other commonalities.


What year was the sugar and stamp act?

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What act was the first act to directly tax the colonists?

the name of this Act was the Sugar Act which taxed the colonists for the first time


Which act was the first to impose an internal tax on the colonies?

The sugar tax was the first tax to affect he American colonies that had not been approved by them but it was not directly taxing them. the stamp act was the first tax that directly affected them that had been passed without their consent