Under the Sugar Act, special judges had the power to decide if people were guilty of smuggling. Why did this part of the law upset the colonists?
a. Before the Sugar Act, smuggling was not considered a crime.
b. The colonists had to pay the judges’ salaries with extra tax money.
c. British officials would often pick criminals to serve as the special judges.
d. The colonists believed it ignored their right to a trial by jury.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is d. The colonists believed it ignored their right to a trial by jury.
The Sugar Act, passed in 1764, was part of a series of laws meant to raise revenue for Britain from its American colonies. One of its provisions gave special judges the authority to decide cases of smuggling, rather than having these cases tried in the local courts with a jury. This decision directly upset many colonists because it infringed upon a core legal principle they had long relied on: the right to a trial by jury.
In colonial America, the right to a trial by jury was considered a fundamental part of justice. Colonists had grown accustomed to trials by local juries, which were seen as a safeguard against biased or unfair rulings. The jury system was also an important way for the colonists to maintain some level of control over legal decisions, as they could influence the outcome by selecting impartial peers from their own community.
Under the Sugar Act, however, British officials granted the power to decide on guilt or innocence to judges who were often appointed by the crown and had no accountability to local communities. This change seemed to many colonists as an attempt to undermine their rights and place them under the arbitrary rule of British authority. Furthermore, the fact that these judges could receive part of the proceeds from the fines imposed made the law even more controversial, as it gave the judges a financial incentive to rule against the colonists.
The resentment this caused played a significant role in the growing tensions between the American colonies and Britain, leading up to the American Revolution. Colonists believed that laws like the Sugar Act violated their rights as Englishmen and set a dangerous precedent for future legal proceedings.