On April 5, 1764, the British Parliament passed the Sugar Act, which imposed duties on sugar and other goods imported into the American colonies. The measure was designed to raise revenue to help pay for the costs of defending and administering the colonies after the French and Indian War. It also strengthened enforcement against smuggling. Many colonists saw the act as taxation without representation and resented its economic impact. Protests against the Sugar Act helped lay the groundwork for broader resistance to British rule. The controversy around it foreshadowed later disputes that led to the American Revolution.
