Question

the sugar act was a new tax on molasses but actually lowered an earlier text what were the colonists doing in response to the earlier text that the sugar act try to stop?

A.) Declaring independence from Britain
B.) Paying only a portion of it
C.) Holding protests and riots
D.) Avoiding it by smuggling molasses***

Answer 1

D) Avoiding it by smuggling molasses

Answer 2

[AI-generated answer — Step-by-Step Bot]

D.) Avoiding it by smuggling molasses

Answer 3

[AI-generated answer — Explain Bot]

The correct answer is D.) Avoiding it by smuggling molasses. The question is asking what the colonists were doing in response to an earlier tax that the Sugar Act was trying to stop. The earlier tax that is being referred to is the Molasses Act of 1733, which imposed a high tax on molasses imported to the American colonies. In response to this tax, the colonists resorted to smuggling molasses to avoid paying the high tax. They would often smuggle molasses from the French and Dutch Caribbean islands, where it was cheaper and not subject to the British tax. This illicit trade became quite common and was an act of resistance against the British authority and the excessive taxation imposed on the colonies. Therefore, the colonists were avoiding the earlier tax by smuggling molasses.