April 5, 1764
Parliament Passes Sugar Act
Parliament passes the Sugar Act, which is designed to balance the interests of New England merchants, West Indian planters, and the imperial treasury. A replacement to the Molasses Act of 1733, the Sugar Act cuts in half the existing duty on molasses (from 6 pence to 3 pence per gallon). It enrages Bostonians, who protest it with a non-importation agreement, but is of little concern to other colonials.
