Passed on April 5, 1764 by Parliament, the Sugar Act was a remodeled version of the Sugar and Molasses of 1733, which was about to expire. Under the Sugar and Molasses act of 1733, merchants in the Colonies were required to pay six pence per gallon on the importation of foreign molasses, however, due to English policy of salutary neglect, merchants often smuggled goods in rather the have the burden of paying taxes. Parliament implemented the Sugar Act in order to produce new revenue for Britain, while also stopping trade between the colonies and the French, Dutch, and Spanish. This tax was the most enforced tax at the time, with the British Navy inspecting merchants for smuggled goods and an increased British presence. Even though Parliament
