Empire
This chapter examines how colonial resistance to quartering British soldiers led the British Parliament to authorize the Quartering Act in 1765. Built on the ideal of the unitary empire, the Quartering Act sought to transfer British rights and responsibilities to North America by requiring that the colonists supply and barrack troops, but exempted private houses from billeting soldiers. Enforcement of the Quartering Act was delayed due to the Stamp Act riots, and implementation failed in Canada. From 1766 to 1768, General Gage enforced the law throughout the American colonies, deriving monies for quartering expenses from eight colonies, although he was only able to do so by recognizing the different legislative approaches of the different American colonies and abandoning the ideal of the unitary empire.