what was an effect of the 1733 molasses act

1733 – Molasses Act

This was one of the first decisions of British Parliament that gave a real boost to organizers smuggling in New England colonies. Simultaneously it promoted corruption among customs officials. To crack down colonial trade with countries other than Britain, especially France, the government created a new on foreign molasses.

Full Answer

How much was the molasses duty in 1733?

MOLASSES ACT, a British law put into effect on 25 December 1733, laid prohibitive duties of six pence per gallon on molasses, nine pence per gallon on rum, and five shillings for every one hundred weight on sugar imported from non-British colonies into Great Britain 's American mainland colonies. The duty had to be paid before the ships landed.

What was the Molasses Act of 1733 Quizlet?

1733 Molasses Act, (1733), in American colonial history, a British law that imposed a tax on molasses, sugar, and rum imported from non-British foreign colonies into the North American colonies.

How did the Molasses Act affect the New England colonies?

Molasses Act. Rum distilling was one of the leading industries in New England, and the act had the effect of raising the price of molasses there. The American colonists feared that the act’s effect would be to increase the price of rum manufactured in New England, thus disrupting the region’s exporting capacity.

How did the new on foreign molasses affect customs officials?

Simultaneously it promoted corruption among customs officials. To crack down colonial trade with countries other than Britain, especially France, the government created a new on foreign molasses.

What was an effect of the 1733 Molasses Act quizlet?

What was an effect of the 1733 Molasses Act? The colonists began to smuggle French molasses.

What caused the Molasses Act of 1733?

The purpose of the Molasses Act was to make more money for Great Britain by controlling trade among its colonies. This tax was meant to discourage the colonies from trading with the French West Indies for the molasses that they used to make their rum and force them to buy their molasses from Great Britain instead.

What effect did the Sugar Act of 1764 have on the tax rate on molasses?

The Sugar Act reduced the rate of tax on molasses from six pence to three pence per gallon, while Grenville took measures that the duty be strictly enforced.

Why was molasses important to the colonies?

Molasses was a major trading product in the Americas, being produced by enslaved Africans on sugar plantations on European colonies. The good was a major import for the British North American colonies, which used molasses to produce rum, especially distilleries in New England.

How did the Molasses Act affect the colonists?

The American colonists protested the act, claiming that the British West Indies alone could not produce enough molasses to meet the colonies' needs. Rum distilling was one of the leading industries in New England, and the act had the effect of raising the price of molasses there.

What was the main after effect of the Molasses Act quizlet?

Molasses Act: British response to the American colonies importing cheaper molasses from France. This act caused smuggling to boom in the colonies.

What was the main purpose of the Sugar Act of 1764 quizlet?

The Sugar Act, put into place by the British government, was enacted on April 5, 1764. The purpose of the act was to tax the importation of molasses from the West Indies, similar to the previous act, but now it was actually going to be enforced by the british navy.

How did Sugar Act affect the colonists?

The Sugar Act affected the colonies by making the post-war economic depression worse, especially for rum distillers in New England. Although the Sugar Act lowered the tax on molasses, it restricted the trade of molasses and forced merchants to buy more expensive molasses from plantations in the British West Indies.

What was the impact of the Sugar Act of 1764?

The Sugar Act required increased enforcement of smuggling laws. Enforcement was carried out by the Royal Navy and British customs officials. The increase in enforcement reduced smuggling but disrupted local business and made the post-war economic depression in the colonies worse.

What happened after the Molasses Act?

The purpose was make traders pay the lower tax instead of smuggling and enforce its collection with the 1763 Hovering Act. The following year the Molasses Act was replaced by the Sugar Act setting the tax at 3d.

What did the sugar and Molasses Act do?

Enacted on April 5, 1764, to take effect on September 29, the new Sugar Act cut the duty on foreign molasses from 6 to 3 pence per gallon, retained a high duty on foreign refined sugar, and prohibited the importation of all foreign rum.

Why was molasses important in the triangular trade?

Most important, it served as the basis for the triangular trade in rum, slaves, and molasses. New England traders carried rum to Africa in exchange for slaves. These slaves were transported and sold to the West Indies to work in the sugar plantations that produced the molasses.

Who made the Molasses Act?

the British ParliamentThe Molasses Act of 1733 was enacted by the British Parliament on the 13 colonies of America with the purpose of protecting its sugar plantations in the West Indies. This act was not designed to raise revenue but it was part of England's mercantile policy of the time and a continuation of the Navigation Acts.

Why was molasses important in the triangular trade?

Most important, it served as the basis for the triangular trade in rum, slaves, and molasses. New England traders carried rum to Africa in exchange for slaves. These slaves were transported and sold to the West Indies to work in the sugar plantations that produced the molasses.

Why did the British create the Currency Act?

To protect British merchants and creditors from depreciated colonial currency, this act regulated currency, abolishing the colonies' paper currency in favor of a system based on the pound sterling.

Why was the Quebec Act passed?

The Quebec Act was put into effect on 1 May 1775. It was passed to gain the loyalty of the French-speaking majority of the Province of Quebec. Based on recommendations from Governors James Murray and Guy Carleton, the Act guaranteed the freedom of worship and restored French property rights.

What was the purpose of the Molasses Act of 1733?

Molasses Act of 1733. An act for the better securing and encouraging the trade of his Majesty's sugar colonies in America. The Molasses Act of 1733 was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain (citation 6 Geo II. c. 13), which imposed a tax of six pence per gallon on imports of molasses from non-British colonies.

When was the Molasses Act repealed?

25 December 1733 (entire act) Status: Repealed. The Molasses Act of 1733 was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain (citation 6 Geo II. c. 13), which imposed a tax of six pence per gallon on imports of molasses from non-British colonies. Parliament created the act largely at the insistence of large plantation owners in the British West Indies.

What was the purpose of the Act of 1764?

London: Parliament of Great Britain. 5 April 1764 – via Wikisource. ... for continuing, amending, and making perpetual, an act passed in the sixth year of the reign of his late majesty King George the Second, (initialed, An act for the better securing and encouraging the trade of his Majesty's sugar colonies in America;) ...

What was the cause of the American Revolution?

The growing corruption of local officials and disrespect for British Law caused by this act and others like it such as the Stamp Act or Townshend Acts eventually led to the American Revolution in 1776. This Act was replaced by the Sugar Act 1764. This Act halved the tax rate, but was accompanied by British intent to actually collect the tax this time.

How did the New England merchants survive?

Thus the New England merchants survived—but only by nullifying an act of Parliament. — John C. Miller, The growing corruption of local officials and disrespect for British Law caused by this act and others like it such as the Stamp Act or Townshend Acts eventually led to the American Revolution in 1776.

Who described British intent on the tax as it would affect the American colonies?

Historian Theodore Draper described British intent on the tax as it would affect the American colonies:

What would happen if the tax was collected?

If actually collected, the tax would have effectively closed that source to New England and destroyed much of the rum industry. Yet smuggling, bribery or intimidation of customs officials effectively nullified the law.

Why was the Molasses Act of 1733 important?

The purpose of the Molasses Act was to make more money for Great Britain by controlling trade among its colonies. The British government wanted to force the American colonists to only buy molasses from the British West Indies rather than the French West Indies.

What was the importance of molasses in the colonies?

This was especially true in New England, which was considered one of the world's leading rum producers in the 1700s. Molasses is made from sugar cane. Along with water and yeast, it is one of the primary ingredients in rum. Since sugar cane does not grow in the New England climate, colonists looked to the Caribbean for its molasses.

Why did George Grenville create the Sugar Act?

As a way to help pay Great Britain's debt from the French and Indian War, Prime Minister George Grenville let the Molasses Act expire and issued the Sugar Act of 1764. The replacement for the Molasses Act did not raise taxes. Instead, it lowered taxes on imported molasses from six to three pence per gallon. Grenville hoped that would discourage smuggling, although smuggling continued until the tax was lowered to one pence in 1766.

What would happen if the colonists didn't have molasses?

Without molasses, trade with the French West Indies would have completely been disrupted and the colonists would have lost a major market for its exports. If the colonists had less money to spend, they would also stop importing goods from England. However, the act was never really enforced. When the British realized that they were hurting their own economy with this act, they did not try very hard to enforce it. Meanwhile, the colonists simply turned to smuggling in molasses, often by bribing customs agents.

What was the Atlantic slave trade?

The Atlantic slave trade was closely tied to the need for molasses and generated a large profit for many New England colonists. That profit was then often used to import refined goods from England, such as cloth or furniture.

What was the problem with the sugar act?

The real problem for the colonists was that all exports now had to go through British ports. The British subjected the colonists to several complex regulations and could take their cargo if they were not followed. Unlike the Molasses Act, this act was strictly enforced. The colonists became increasingly angry at British involvement in their trade, making the Sugar Act one step on the path to the Revolutionary War.

How did the rum industry ruin the economy?

It ruined the economy by increasing the cost of making rum.

What was the molasses act?

MOLASSES ACT, a British law put into effect on 25 December 1733, laid prohibitive duties of six pence per gallon on molasses, nine pence per gallon on rum, and five shillings for every one hundred weight on sugar imported from non-British colonies into Great Britain 's American mainland colonies. The duty had to be paid before the ships landed. The act also stipulated that these products could only be imported into Ireland on British ships, in accordance with the Navigation Acts.

How did the Molasses Act affect the West Indies?

At the same time, France prohibited the importation of rum into France to protect French brandy production. This obliged the molasses producers in the French colonies to develop markets in New England and New York. The mainland colonial merchants involved in the considerable rum industry in New England found it more lucrative to deal with the French, Dutch, or Spanish sugar interests in the West Indies than with the costly English suppliers. Boston alone produced more than a million gallons of rum per year by the 1730s. From 1730 to 1733, the planters in the British West Indies sugar colonies, led by Barbados, which had highly placed political connections, petitioned Parliament to disallow the mainland colonies from carrying on commerce with the foreign West Indies. The British West Indies planters insisted they were suffering from soil exhaustion, a recent hurricane, burdensome export taxes, and the restraints of the Navigation Acts. The mainland colonies argued that the British West Indies could not consume all of the fish, lumber, flour, cheese, and other agricultural products of the Bread Colonies (the mainland colonies) or provide the amount of rum the mainland colonies demanded.

What was the British effort to control trade in the colonies?

In an ongoing effort to control commerce in its North American colonies, the British Parliament passed the Molasses Act in 1733. It imposed heavy duties on any molasses, sugar, or rum imported by the colonies from non-British West Indies (islands in the Caribbean).

What was the sugar act?

The Sugar Act also provided for British customs officials to be sent to America where they would work with colonial governors to enforce the law.

How did smugglers evade the law?

Smugglers evaded the law by transporting African slaves to Spanish colonies where they were traded for sugar and molasses. These goods were then sold to New England distillers. The smugglers used the profits to buy more African slaves, establishing one of many triangular trade routes that proved lucrative in colonial times.

Who wrote the economic rise of early America?

Walton, Gary M., and James F. Shepherd. The Economic Rise of Early America. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1979.

Why was the Molasses Act of 1733 enacted?

The Molasses Act of 1733 was enacted by the British Parliament on the 13 colonies of America with the purpose of protecting its sugar plantations in the West Indies. This act was not designed to raise revenue but it was part of England’s mercantile policy of the time and a continuation of the Navigation Acts.

What would happen if molasses was paid?

Manufacturers of rum feared that supply of molasses and its higher price would affect its manufacturing capacity and therefore lose market share in an already competitive market. If the duty was paid it would amount to 100% of its value.

What was the purpose of the hovering act?

He set to reduce the tax rate from 6d to 2d per gallon of molasses. The purpose was make traders pay the lower tax instead of smuggling and enforce its collection with the 1763 Hovering Act.

What was the first decision of the British Parliament that gave a real boost to organizers smuggling in?

1733 – Molasses Act . This was one of the first decisions of British Parliament that gave a real boost to organizers smuggling in New England colonies. Simultaneously it promoted corruption among customs officials. To crack down colonial trade with countries other than Britain, especially France, the government created a new on foreign molasses.

Where did the British import molasses from?

Not only did the New England colonies imported molasses from Jamaica and Barbados but also from non-British plantations such as Santo Domingo and Martinique, colonies of Spain and France respectively. The British argued that their colonies in the West Indies produced enough quantity to supply its colonies. Sugar cane plantations in the West Indies ...

Where was molasses imported?

Molasses was imported in great quantities by the colonies and particularly by New England where it was used to manufacture rum which was then exported to the rest of the colonies; it was a highly profitable and thriving business.

Why did the British want to tax sugar cane?

Instead of fair trade, British producers wanted to protect their market and lobbied Parliament for a tax on foreign molasses. On December 25, 1733 the Molasses Act came into effect imposing a duty of 6d per gallon on molasses imported from non-British colonies.

How did the Molasses Act of 1733 affect the American colonies?

In order to understand why the Molasses Act of 1733 had such an impact on the American colonies and helped precipitate the Revolutionary War, it is necessary to understand the central role of molasses to the colonial economy at the time. Molasses is a byproduct of the sugar cane refining industry and is created when sugar cane is boiled ...

What was the result of the Sugar and Molasses Act of 1733?

The result of their outcry was the Sugar and Molasses Act of 1733, which did not prohibit the importation of foreign molasses into the American colonies, but instead placed a heavy tax on the foreign goods in order to force the colonists into buying cheaper goods from the British planters.

What was the smuggling trade in the colonies?

The smuggling trade for sugar, rum and molasses was so huge that five sixths of all the molasses imported into the colonies came from the Fre nch West Indies ins tead of from the British islands. Huge fortunes were made by colonial merchants in the colonies from smuggling, allegedly inclu ding John Hancock of Boston, although this has never been conclusively proven. 30 years later the British would detain his smuggling ship called the Liberty and this event would be one of the triggers of the Boston Tea Party, one of the most significant events leading to the Revolutionary War! Of course John Hancock later became one of the leaders of the Revolution, becoming President of the Continental Congress, the first (and largest) signer of the Declaration of Independence and the first governor of the State of Massachusetts!

What is the molasses tax?

It specifically mentions all rum or other spirits, molasses, syrups and sugars derived from any foreign sources. The core of the act is a six cents a gallon tax on molasses:

How did the Molasses Act affect the colonial economy?

Had the Molasses Act ever truly been enforced, it would have wreaked havoc on the colonial economy. It would have decimated the New England rum industry by making the prices of raw materials for its production enormously high. The elimination of the French West Indies markets for colonial lumber, fish, cheese, flour, barrels and horses would have destroyed one of the primary markets for a huge portion of colonial exports. If these major sources of revenue were removed, the colonists would have had less money with which to purchase manufactured goods from England, destroying retail markets for finished goods in the colonies and manufacturers back in England.

Why is molasses the most important sweetener in the United States?

In fact, molasses was the most important sweetener in the United States until the 1880s, because it was cheaper than refined sugar. Harvesting Sugar Cane. Source. Sugar cane was grown in large quantities in the British colonies in the Caribbean West Indies, especially in the islands of Barbados, Antigua and Jamaica.

How much rum did Boston produce in the 1730s?

The city of Boston alone was already producing more than a million gallons of rum a year by the 1730s! Not only was the manufacture of rum distilled from molasses an important industry in itself, but it was also intricately tied into every other important industry in the colonies.

What was the Molasses Act?

The Molasses Act was a British law of 1733 imposing a prohibitive duty of six pence a gallon on rum and five shillings a hundredweight on sugar imported from the foreign colonies of the West Indies into the English colonies of America. Since the colonies needed exports to offset their adverse trade balance with the mother country, ...

Why did the colonists pass the Molasses Act?

The American colonists justified their action on the grounds that compliance with the act would have ruined their economy.