What was the Sugar Act and why did it upset the American
colonists so much? The Sugar Act of 1764 was a law that was
intended to make money for the British government. The Sugar Act
put a tax on sugar, molasses, and wine. If colonists bought any
of these products from the British West Indies [Jamaica and
other islands in the Caribbean], then they would have to pay
this tax. The colonists imported a good deal of these products;
molasses was and important part of the Triangular Trade. This
type of tax was nothing new and issues it raised were not really
about money. The colonists paid the tax and it raised more money
than all other taxes. The way the Sugar Act was imposed and
enforced were the real issues that upset the colonists. The
Sugar Act took away our right to a jury trial. The signing of
the Magna Charta in 1215 established the right to a trial by "a
jury of your peers" [people like you]. The Sugar Act set up
Admiralty Courts to try people accused of buying things from
countries other than Britain. Thes