The Sugar Act was passed by the British Parliament on April 5, 1764, during the reign of King George III, and it went into effect later that year on September 29, 1764.

Quick Scoop

Key dates

  • Act passed by Parliament: April 5, 1764.
  • Royal assent and passage are often summarized simply as “the Sugar Act of 1764.”
  • Enforcement began: September 29, 1764.
  • Replaced by the Revenue Act in 1766, after about two years of enforcement.

Why this date matters

  • The Sugar Act was one of the first major British revenue laws imposed on the American colonies after the French and Indian War.
  • It tightened customs enforcement and duties on sugar and molasses, hitting merchants and shipowners particularly hard.
  • Colonial anger over measures like the Sugar Act helped set the stage for the later “no taxation without representation” protests and, eventually, the American Revolution.

Tiny timeline (1764–1766)

  1. March 9, 1764 – George Grenville introduces the Sugar Act provisions in his budget in the House of Commons.
  1. March 30, 1764 – House of Commons passes the Sugar Act.
  1. April 4, 1764 – House of Lords approves it.
  1. April 5, 1764 – Royal Assent; the law is officially the Sugar Act of 1764.
  1. September 29, 1764 – Act takes effect in the colonies.
  1. 1766 – Replaced by the Revenue Act, which eased the molasses duty.

HTML table of core facts

Item Detail
Official name American Revenue Act of 1764 (commonly called the Sugar Act)
Year 1764
Date passed April 5, 1764
Effective date September 29, 1764
Replaced previous law Molasses Act of 1733
End of enforcement 1766 (replaced by the Revenue Act)

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