Key facts and important details about the Quartering Act of 1774 for kids doing research and students studying for the AP U.S. History (APUSH) exam.
The British Parliament enacted the Quartering Act of 1774 on June 2, 1774.
The Quartering Act of 1774 was one of the Coercive, or Intolerable Acts, enacted by Parliament in reaction to the Boston Tea Party.
The Quartering Act of 1774 was an extension of the Quartering Act of 1765, which required each American colony to provide housing and basic needs for British soldiers stationed within its borders.
The Quartering Act of 1774 did not expand the types of buildings where soldiers could be housed.
The Quartering Act of 1774 did expand the powers of royal officials in the colonies to seize uninhabited buildings, for the purpose of housing troops, without the approval of local officials.
Contrary to popular belief, neither Quartering Act required colonists to house soldiers in inhabited homes.
Many colonists considered the Quartering Act of 1774 as an infringement on the local authorities.
The Quartering Act of 1774 and the other Coercive Acts provided further ammunition for a growing radical element in the colonies and prompted the calling of the First Continental Congress on September 5, 1774.