Question

Why did american merchants resent the sugar act even though it reduced the tariff on french molasses?

Answer 1

Many merchants smuggled French molasses and had never paid the duty. In 1764, Parliament first tried to tax colonists. It changed the 1733 Molasses Act into a new law called the Sugar Act. This law amplified the number of customs agents. It also increased the consequences for smuggling, though it lowered the duty on molasses. By catching more smugglers, Britain helped to make merchants pay the duty.