The Quartering Act Of 1765
Pre-revolutionary actions taken by the British towards the colonists played a huge role in the tension uprising towards the British in that the colonists saw these treatments of taxation or invasion of privacy on daily necessities or daily needs absolutely ridiculous and unfair in that why should they be taxed by a country that lives thousands of miles away in order to pay for their debt from the Seven Year’s War and the maintenance and protection of their overseas possessions (1). One of these acts that led to the creation of a negative image/idea of the British was the Quartering act of 1765 that was passed on June 2nd of that year which “stated that Great Britain would house its soldiers in American barracks and public houses.”(2)
This act, like many others, really bothered the colonists in that they felt it was a violation of the Bill of Rights which forbid taxation without representation (3). No one felt the need or the duty to open up their homes and businesses in order to house, feed, and transport British troops. They even felt it more unnecessary when they realized the reason the troops were over there in the first place was to protect them from the French and keep the land they had acquired, though the colonists themselves did not see the French as a threat. (4) Many of the colonists thought that their rights and privacy as citizens were being violated, after all, it was not the obligation of the colonists to open up their houses and resources to troops when they felt that it was unnecessary to do so. Though from the British point you could see where they were coming from, it was completely unfair to the colonists.
This act in turn created the image and idea of the British as a completely unfair rule of government that portrayed them as officials who were not willing to listen to their people and go against their wishes in order to gain back economic status due to a loss of money from the War. The colonists themselves contributed their part by assisting troops as well. With all the commotion going on and the build up of anger towards the British beginning to show more and more throughout the colonies, colonists finally decided to take charge and protest. The colony of New York for example, protested by not allowing troops on the ships from the British Navy to get off their ships onto land, basically telling them to go back home. (5) While that was more of a peaceful protest, other colonists took harsher methods and protested by throwing stones at the British soldiers, or violent rioting in the streets in order to keep the British on their boats and from stepping onto the colonies land. (6, pg.181)
The Quartering Act could be seen as one of the early acts that sparked a hatred and disliking of British rule through unfair treatment leading up to the uprising of the Revolutionary War. The Quartering Act of 1765 eventually expired due to the ongoing protestations against it on March 24, 1767. (7)
Sources:
(6, pg. 181) Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty!: An American History. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. Print.
(3) "The Quartering Act." Boston Tea Party A Revolutionary Experience. Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
(4) “The Quartering Act”
(5) “The Quartering Act”
(7) “The Quartering Act”
(1) "The Stamp Act and the Quartering Act - American Revolution." The Stamp Act and the Quartering Act - American Revolution. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
(2) "The Stamp Act and the Quartering Act - American Revolution."
This act, like many others, really bothered the colonists in that they felt it was a violation of the Bill of Rights which forbid taxation without representation (3). No one felt the need or the duty to open up their homes and businesses in order to house, feed, and transport British troops. They even felt it more unnecessary when they realized the reason the troops were over there in the first place was to protect them from the French and keep the land they had acquired, though the colonists themselves did not see the French as a threat. (4) Many of the colonists thought that their rights and privacy as citizens were being violated, after all, it was not the obligation of the colonists to open up their houses and resources to troops when they felt that it was unnecessary to do so. Though from the British point you could see where they were coming from, it was completely unfair to the colonists.
This act in turn created the image and idea of the British as a completely unfair rule of government that portrayed them as officials who were not willing to listen to their people and go against their wishes in order to gain back economic status due to a loss of money from the War. The colonists themselves contributed their part by assisting troops as well. With all the commotion going on and the build up of anger towards the British beginning to show more and more throughout the colonies, colonists finally decided to take charge and protest. The colony of New York for example, protested by not allowing troops on the ships from the British Navy to get off their ships onto land, basically telling them to go back home. (5) While that was more of a peaceful protest, other colonists took harsher methods and protested by throwing stones at the British soldiers, or violent rioting in the streets in order to keep the British on their boats and from stepping onto the colonies land. (6, pg.181)
The Quartering Act could be seen as one of the early acts that sparked a hatred and disliking of British rule through unfair treatment leading up to the uprising of the Revolutionary War. The Quartering Act of 1765 eventually expired due to the ongoing protestations against it on March 24, 1767. (7)
Sources:
(6, pg. 181) Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty!: An American History. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. Print.
(3) "The Quartering Act." Boston Tea Party A Revolutionary Experience. Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
(4) “The Quartering Act”
(5) “The Quartering Act”
(7) “The Quartering Act”
(1) "The Stamp Act and the Quartering Act - American Revolution." The Stamp Act and the Quartering Act - American Revolution. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
(2) "The Stamp Act and the Quartering Act - American Revolution."