The Quartering Acts
Date
- The first Quartering act stated that troops could only be quarted in barracks and if there was not enough space in the barracks, then they were to be quartered in public houses and inns and were to be provided with provisions.
The second act allowed a governor to house soldiers in other buildings, such as barns, inns, and other unoccupied structures, if suitable quarters were not provided, but soldiers did not need to be given provisions.
Causes:
- The Quartering Acts were the cheapest way to provide for the British troops stationed in the American colonies.
- From the French and Indian War the British were in massive debt and had to come up a plan to get rid of it.
- Had clauses relating to standing armies and the billeting of British troops.
Who/what areas were affected by the cause?
- Required colonies to house British soldiers in barracks.
- Local inns, Livery stables, Ale houses, and the houses of sellers of wine, were affected if barracks were too small.
- Colonists were required to arrange everything for the soldiers.
How did this worsen the relationship between Great Britain and the colonist?
The colonists had thought that it was violating the Bill of Rights, so soldiers who had fought in the French and Indian war had a hard time to convince the colonists to pay for quartering and provisions. The colonists started to protest and throw threats, like to "kill the King", and killing some of the soldiers, or just plain refusing to house the soldiers.