Sugar act

1. The Sugar Act (1764) Read through each slide and answer each question while you go through the slides There is 1 question for each slide For example: The answer to the first question will be on slide 1 Directions:

2. The Sugar Act started because the Government of Great Britain, also known as the Parliament , needed money to pay off the cost of the French and Indian War. Slide 1

3. Slide 2 Parliament believed that the colonists should help pay this cost since much of the fighting was done to defend them.

4. Slide 3 Parliament passed the Sugar Act , which was a tax on sugar, wine, molasses, and coffee .

5. Slide 4 Molasses was important to New England merchants since they bought molasses to make rum to sell to other colonies, including the French, Dutch, and Spanish.

6. The tax on molasses almost stopped the rum trade from New England , and the New England colonies protested . Slide 5

7. As well as being taxed , the Sugar Act also called for harsh punishment of smugglers . This meant that people who were smuggling in products, such as molasses , to the colonies would be punished . Slide 6

8. The taxing worried the leaders of the colonies. They feared Britain might be taking away power from the colonial governments . Slide 7

9. The leaders wanted the American colonies to be free to govern themselves as they had been doing for years. Slide 8