Quartering Acts facts for kids
The Quartering Acts were a series of laws passed by the Parliament of Great Britain that made people in the Thirteen Colonies of British North America provide housing and food for British Army soldiers. These laws were meant to help the British military, especially after the French and Indian War. However, they quickly caused a lot of anger and disagreement between the colonists and the British government in London. These disagreements were a big reason why the American War of Independence began. The memory of these acts also led to the Third Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects people from having soldiers forced into their homes.
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Understanding the Quartering Acts: A Look Back at Colonial Times
The Quartering Acts were a major source of tension between Great Britain and its American colonies. These laws required local authorities in the colonies to provide British soldiers with places to live and food to eat. Each Quartering Act was an update to an older law called the Mutiny Acts and had to be renewed by Parliament every year. They were first created to solve problems that came up during the French and Indian War.
The First Quartering Act: 1765 Rules and Reactions
Quick facts for kids Mutiny, America Act 1765 |
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| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An act to amend and render more effectual, in his Majesty's dominions in America, an act passed in this present session of parliament, intituled, An act for punishing mutiny and desertion, and for the better payment of the army and their quarters. |
| Citation | 5 Geo. 3. c. 33 |
| Territorial extent | British North American Colonies |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 15 May 1765 |
| Commencement | 25 March 1765 |
| Expired | 24 March 1767 |
| Repealed | 15 July 1867 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | Mutiny Act 1765 |
| Repealed by | Statute Law Revision Act 1867 |
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Status: Repealed
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| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
After the French and Indian War, British officers like General Thomas Gage faced a problem. They found it difficult to convince the local governments in the colonies to pay for housing and feeding their soldiers. Before this war, there wasn't a large British army stationed in the colonies. So, many colonists wondered why such an army was needed after the French were defeated.
General Gage asked the British Parliament to help. The result was the Quartering Act of 1765. This law was approved on May 15, 1765. It said that colonial authorities had to find places for British troops to stay. Soldiers should first be housed in local barracks or public houses. If there wasn't enough space, they could stay in "inns, stables, ale houses, and houses of people selling wine or other strong drinks." If even more space was needed, they could use "uninhabited houses, outhouses, barns, or other buildings." The colonies were also required to pay for the soldiers' housing and food.
When 1,500 British troops arrived in New York City in 1766, the local assembly refused to follow the new law. They did not provide housing for the soldiers, who had to stay on their ships. This caused tension, and a small fight even broke out. Because New York refused, the British Parliament threatened to suspend New York's government. However, this threat was never fully carried out because the New York Assembly eventually agreed to help pay for the troops' housing in 1771.
Most colonies, except for Pennsylvania, found ways around this act. This first Quartering Act ended on March 24, 1767.
The Quartering Act of 1774: A New Set of Rules
| Mutiny in America Act 1774 | |
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| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act for further continuing Two Acts, made in the Sixth and Ninth Years of His Majesty's Reign, for punishing Mutiny and Desertion; and for the better Payment of the Army and their Quarters, in His Majesty's Dominions in America. |
| Citation | 14 Geo. 3. c. 6 |
| Territorial extent | British North American Colonies |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 9 March 1774 |
| Commencement | 13 January 1774 |
| Expired | 24 March 1776 |
| Repealed | 21 August 1871 |
| Other legislation | |
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| Repealed by | Statute Law Revision Act 1871 |
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Status: Repealed
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| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Quartering Act of 1774 was one of the laws known as the Intolerable Acts in the colonies. In Britain, they were called the Coercive Acts. This act applied to all the colonies. Its goal was to find a better way to house British troops in America. The British government felt that colonial legislatures had not been helpful in providing housing before.
This new law gave governors the power to house soldiers in other buildings if suitable places were not provided. It's a common misunderstanding that this act allowed soldiers to stay in private homes where people lived. However, historians have shown that the act only allowed troops to be housed in unoccupied buildings, like empty barns or houses.
... it shall and may be lawful for the governor of the province to order and direct such and so many uninhabited houses, out-houses, barns, or other buildings, as he shall think necessary to be taken ...
This act expired on March 24, 1776.
Soldiers and Homes: Quartering During Wartime
During the French and Indian War, British officers often asked to use private homes in the colonies to house their soldiers. Many colonists did not like this. British laws called the Mutiny Acts, passed in 1723, 1754, and 1756, actually said that regular troops should not be stationed in private homes. However, officers in North America often ignored this rule. Colonists felt this went against the idea that the military should always follow civilian rules.
In Pennsylvania, the local assembly debated laws to protect citizens' rights to choose if soldiers could stay in their homes. In 1756, Commander-in-Chief Lord Loudoun ordered Colonel Henry Bouquet to take any quarters he needed by force. The governor of Pennsylvania issued a warrant, but left it vague. The Pennsylvania Assembly was very upset, believing their governor was not protecting their rights.
In Albany, New York, the mayor had planned to build barracks for Loudoun's troops. But they weren't ready when the soldiers arrived. The mayor refused to let the troops stay in Albany, saying he knew his rights. Lord Loudoun then ordered his soldiers to stay in private homes anyway.
In Boston, Massachusetts, the governor managed to get money approved to build barracks for up to a thousand troops. However, when two recruiting officers were denied quarters in Boston, they complained. They were told it was illegal to quarter in private homes and suggested the new barracks at Castle William. Lord Loudoun, who was facing military challenges, argued that the war made it acceptable to use private homes.
Eventually, the Massachusetts legislature got Lord Loudoun to agree to house his troops at Castle William. The British Parliament passed a Quartering Act for the American colonies on May 3, 1765. This act clearly stated that troops could only be housed in barracks, then public houses and inns. If more space was needed, the governor and council would find vacant buildings. It was never legal to quarter troops in private homes where people lived. During the American Revolutionary War, the New York Provincial Congress did force Continental Army troops into private homes.
Why the Quartering Acts Still Matter Today
The Quartering Acts were a major reason for the colonists' anger against the British King. In the United States Declaration of Independence, one of the main complaints listed was:
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us.
This historical experience directly led to the Third Amendment to the United States Constitution. This amendment clearly states that soldiers cannot be housed in private homes without the owner's permission during peacetime. Even during war, it must be done according to specific laws. This amendment protects citizens' privacy and property rights.
The Quartering Acts also played a role in the creation of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. Many colonists did not trust having a large standing army. They saw the forced housing of troops as a way the government could oppress them. The Second Amendment, which protects the right to keep and bear arms, was partly a response to this fear of a powerful military.
See also
In Spanish: Ley del Alojamiento para niños
- Dragonnade
- Mutiny Acts
- Billeting
