The Declaratory Act was a British statute passed in 1766 that asserted the British Parliament's authority to legislate for the American colonies "in all cases whatsoever." The act was a response to the growing resistance to British rule in the colonies, particularly the Stamp Act of 1765.
The Declaratory Act declared that the British Parliament had the right to "make laws and statutes of sufficient force and validity to bind the colonies and people of America, subjects of the crown of Great Britain, in all cases whatsoever." This included the power to levy taxes, regulate trade, and pass other laws that affected the colonies.
The Declaratory Act was seen as a direct challenge to the colonists' claims of self-government. The colonists argued that they had the right to make their own laws, and that the British Parliament had no authority to legislate for them. The Declaratory Act helped to fuel the growing tensions between Britain and the colonies that eventually led to the American Revolution.
Here are some of the key points of the Declaratory Act:
- The British Parliament has the right to make laws for the colonies in all cases whatsoever.
- The colonies are subordinate to the British Parliament and must obey its laws.
- The colonists have no right to govern themselves independently of the British Parliament.
The Declaratory Act was a significant event in the lead-up to the American Revolution. It helped to solidify the colonists' opposition to British rule and played a role in the outbreak of the war in 1775.