The 1774 Quartering Act was one of the series of Intolerable Acts passed as a reprisal to the Boston Tea Party. The history of the Quartering Acts is directly linked to the causes of the American Revolution.
Background Info on the Quartering Acts - The 1686 Mutiny Act
The Mutiny Act was passed just after the Glorious Revolution as was the 1689 English Bill of Rights. The Quartering Acts were extensions to the original 1686 Mutiny Act that, apart from dealing with mutiny in the British armed forces, also had clauses relating to standing armies and the billeting of British troops in barracks and public houses in the American colonies. The Quartering Acts were extensions of the original 1686 Mutiny Act. Read the 1774 Quartering Act text and words.
The Provisions of the Quartering Act of 1765
The 1689 Mutiny Act gave Great Britain the right to quarter troops in barracks and public houses in the colonies. The Quartering Act of 1765 went even further. The Quartering Act of 1765 added that, if no accommodation was available in barracks and public houses, British troops could also be housed in a variety of additional locations such as:
- Inns
- Ale Houses
- Private homes of those selling wine or alcohol
- Livery stables
- Uninhabited homes
- Outbuildings - such as barns
The Quartering Act of 1765 also required colonial governments to absorb the costs associated with quartering British troops which included food, shelter, bedding, cooking utensils, firewood, salt, vinegar, beer or cider and candles.
