After the last French and Indian War(1754-63) the British gained Canada and the Missisippi area as new territories. The war was won but the costs had been huge, and would remain high due to the need to protect the colonies against other (western or native) enemies. But even more dangerous to the empire was the fact that Anglo-American strategic and economic interdependence were disrupted and no longer coincided after the War, a factor which would soon prove to undermine the bond between the empire and its American colonies.

Parliament and Greenville, the prime minister, increasingly felt the colonies should at least pay a part of their own protection. Grenville drew up a number of resolutions dealing with new duties, which, after being accepted by Parliament, became know as the Sugar Act, due to the fact that one of the m

The Sugar Act caused alarm in the American colonies, partly because of the expected economic disadvantages, but also because of a number of other reasons, one of the most important being the severe implementation by the navy. Added to this was a general post-war depression and the enactment of another act prohibiting the use of paper money as legal tender, almost immediately following the Sugar Act. It was this combination of factors which provided the background for the oppositional activities. A lot of assemblies spoke against the new taxes. In addition, the Sugar Act also became an issue in the struggle between various factions in the different states, but in general opposition was strong. One of the steps taken, for example, was to threat with a boycot of English products. Meanwhile rumours of a possible new act which was being prepared by the British added to the growing tension.

ore important resolutions dealt with a new duty on molasses. One of these resolutions was in fact an early draft of what later became known as the Stamp Act, but it was not included in the final version of the Sugar Act.

As it turned out, the rumours about a new tax were right. Grenville <../../B/ggrenville/grenv.htm> was preparing a new tax because revenues were still too low. Instead

Some topics in this essay:
Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Canada Missisippi, Parliament Greenville, Assemblies American, English British, Parliament Act, sugar act, stamp act, , american colonies, War1754-63 British, American Revolution, challenged british, colonies challenged, boycot english, british tax, tax revenues, tax colonies, own power,