The Sugar Act's Sweet Chains: Unpacking Its Impact on the Colonies

The Sugar Act of 1764, also known as the American Revenue Act, had a significant impact on the American colonies. Out of the provided options, the most relevant answer is: **Colonial exports had to pass through British ports before traveling to other European nations.** Additionally, the Sugar Act was designed to raise revenue by imposing a tax on molasses and sugar imported into the American colonies from sources outside the British Empire. This was intended to collect funds to help pay off the British debts from the Seven Years' War and to fund the defense and administration of the colonies. The act also aimed to curtail the smuggling of sugar and molasses by reducing the previous tax on molasses but strictly enforcing the collection of this new reduced tax. These measures contributed to rising tensions between the colonies and Britain, eventually leading to the American Revolution.