The Sugar Act, passed by the British Parliament in 1764, was a law designed to raise revenue from the American colonies primarily by taxing sugar, molasses, and other products imported from non-British Caribbean sources. It was also called the Plantation Act or the Revenue Act. The act was intended to enforce stricter customs duties and curb the smuggling of sugar and molasses from French and Dutch West Indies, which had previously been taxed under the largely unsuccessful Molasses Act of 1733. The Sugar Act lowered the tax on molasses from six pence to three pence per gallon with the aim of ensuring more effective collection of the duties, rather than the higher tax rate being widely evaded. It also gave a monopoly to British West Indies sugar planters and imposed harsher penalties for smuggling, including trial by Vice-Admiralty Courts, which lacked juries and were less forgiving than local courts. The act also extended trade restrictions and placed new duties on other goods such as madeira wine, coffee, and certain textiles. This act was part of Britain’s efforts to raise funds to pay for the costs of defending and maintaining its expanded empire after the French and Indian War (Seven Years' War). American colonists opposed the act because it restricted their trade and added to their tax burden without their consent, contributing to growing resentment that eventually led to the American Revolution. Notably, figures like Samuel Adams criticized the Sugar Act as taxation without representation. In summary, the Sugar Act was a revenue-raising measure focused on taxing sugar and related goods, enforcing customs laws strictly, and funding British military expenses in the colonies following territorial gains in North America.