7/29/2019 Civil Rights for Colonists

1/2

1. Writs of Assistance- British Custom officials searched the homes of colonists, to look forsmuggled goods and to enforcing trade and navigation laws, without permission and

therefor violated colonists rights to privacy and their Protection from unreasonable

search and seizure

2. Stamp Act Violators- who failed to pay the tax would be punished by the vice-admiraltycourts, which were juryless courts located in British colonies that were granted

jurisdiction over local legal matters related to merchant activities, without a trial by jury.

This violated the right to have a civil trial by jury.

3.

Innocent till Proven Guilty-Parliament changed the colonies legal system by giving

greater power to their courts. These courts had NO juries, and the judges treated

suspected smugglers as guilty until proven innocent. In regular British courts, a person is

considered innocent until proven guilty. Colonists were treated this way because they

were considered lesser due to being owned by Britain.

4. Prohibit colonists from moving west of the ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. Thegoals of the Proclamation were to establish territorial government, placate the Indians,

and reward those who fought in the recent war. It ordered white colonists already in the

restricted territories to move east of the proclamation line, and to give up any land not

properly purchased from the Indians. The right violated was a persons right to private

property (no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of

law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation).

5. Quartering Act-Parliament enacted it to order local governments of the Americancolonies to provide the British soldiers with any needed accommodations. It also required

citizens to provide food for any British soldiers in the area. The purpose was to allow

7/29/2019 Civil Rights for Colonists

2/2

Britain to keep a standing army in the colonies without having to pay too much and also

intimidate colonist into obedience. They violated colonists rights not to have any soldiers

in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner; nor in time

of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

6. Massachusetts Government Act -The Act abolished the popularly elected councilmembers, and replaced them with a 12 to 36 member council appointed by the King. The

Act also forbade any meeting of the people of a town, unless at an annual meeting held in

either March or May, unless specifically authorized by the governor. The Act further

details special juries, when they can be called, and who the cost of the trial would fall

upon. The Massachusetts Government Act is one of the Intolerable Acts that lead to

dissent in the American colonies and took away colonists rights of self-government,

freedom of speech, press, religion, peaceable assembly, and to petition the government.

7. The Quebec Act- was passed by the British Parliament. The act, among other things,legalized the Catholic religion in Quebec and also granted Quebec independent power to

govern itself. Both were viewed as threats to the American Colonies; many colonists

feared Catholics and by 1774 the American Colonies were continually being stripped of

their authority and power to govern themselves. They viewed Quebec as being set up as a

launching point for the British military. Violated freedom of religion.

8. The Declaratory Act was a gesture of British Parliament reasserting its authority to passtaxes and laws on the colonies, even though they lacked any representation. This

represented taxation without representation.