2 Restriction Acts

The British government, fearing a series of Indian wars, believed that the lands should be opened on

a more gradual basis. Restricting movement was also a way of ensuring royal control over existing settlements before allowing the formation of new ones. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 reserved all the western territory between the Allegheny Mountains, Florida, the Mississippi River, and Quebec for use by Native Americans. Thus the Crown attempted to sweep away every western land claim of the 13 colonies and to

stop westward expansion. Although never effectively enforced, this measure, in the eyes of the colonists,

constituted a high-handed disregard of their fundamental right to occupy and settle western lands.

More serious in its repercussions was the new British revenue policy. London needed more money to support its growing empire and faced growing taxpayer discontent at home. It seemed reasonable enough that the colonies should pay for their own defense. That would involve new taxes, levied by Parliament — at the expense of colonial self-government

1621 Virginia tobacco can be sold only in England. English tobacco crop prohibited.

1650-51 Navigation Acts forbid import of all goods except in English ships or ships owned by producing country (No third parties); foreign ships barred from the colonies. Acts are not anti-Colonial, but aimed at Dutch; Dutch War breaks out 1652; peace in 1654

1660 Provides for no goods in and out of colonies except in British ships or ships with 1/4 British crews; Certain goods (indigo, sugar, tobacco) may be shipped only to England.

1662 Goods may be imported in English-built ships only

1663 Staples Act: European goods bound for the colonies must go in English-built ships from England. Colonial governors may grant authority to naval officers.

1673 Duties are to be assessed at port of clearance to prevent plantation owners from evading laws; also, inter-colonial duties imposed on tobacco, sugar, etc.

1675 Charles II designates certain Privy Councilors as "Lords of Trade and Plantations"; seeks to make colonies more profitable; Lords of Trade handle virtually all colonial affairs.

1696 Act confines all colonial trade to English-built ships; toughens enforcement procedures to collect duties; voids colonial laws passed in opposition to the Navigation Acts; creates the Board of Commissioners for Trade and Plantations. The Board’s 15 members provide centralized control.

1698 Wool Act. Prohibits export of colonial woolen cloth—raw wool only.

1732 Hat Act—no hats exported from colonies. Danbury, Connecticut, hit.

1733 Molasses Act—Protects West Indian planters; imposes duty on rum; virtually unenforceable in the colonies because of smuggling-Americans very adept. Duty on rum is very high.

1750 Iron Acts ban iron finishing in colonies; ensures sufficient pig-iron supply to England.

1764 Sugar Act. The beginning of the pre-Revolutionary acts.

Although the colonists did not object in theory to these acts, they went out of their way to avoid the consequences of them by refusing to pay duties, smuggling, etc. Colonial governors could enforce these acts only with difficulty, and even though various levels of authority were granted to naval officers, enforcement was expensive and in the end impractical. Although the seeds of revolution do not begin to take hold firmly until the 1760s, tension grows between colonies and mother country throughout this period.