Which of the following describes the Sugar Act?(1 point) Responses Smugglers supported the tax because it forced merchants to pay. Smugglers supported the tax because it forced merchants to pay. It removed the tax on molasses. It removed the tax on molasses. It called for more customs officials. It called for more customs officials. It enforced existing laws regarding taxes on molasses. It enforced existing laws regarding taxes on molasses.
It enforced existing laws regarding taxes on molasses.
The correct answer is: It enforced existing laws regarding taxes on molasses.
To determine which of the following options describes the Sugar Act, we can analyze each option and eliminate any that do not align with historical facts.
1. "Smugglers supported the tax because it forced merchants to pay." - This statement does not accurately describe the Sugar Act. The act was actually implemented to crack down on smuggling and tax evasion, rather than being supported by smugglers.
2. "It removed the tax on molasses." - This statement is incorrect. The Sugar Act, passed by the British Parliament in 1764, did not eliminate the tax on molasses. Instead, it reduced the tax rate from the previous Molasses Act of 1733.
3. "It called for more customs officials." - This statement is accurate. The Sugar Act did indeed call for an increase in the number of customs officials in the American colonies. This was aimed at strengthening enforcement measures to combat smuggling.
4. "It enforced existing laws regarding taxes on molasses." - This statement is partially correct. While the Sugar Act did enforce existing laws related to the taxes on molasses, it also introduced new regulations and stricter enforcement measures.
Therefore, the correct description of the Sugar Act is that it called for more customs officials and enforced existing laws regarding taxes on molasses (Option 3 and Option 4).