The Forgotten Act: How the American Prohibitory Act of 1775 Sparked the Revolution (and Why No One Talks About It)

Between the Declaration and Resolves on Colonial Rights in 1774 and the Declaration of Independence in 1776, British colonists in America went from speaking about their rights as Englishmen and their desire for reconciliation with the King, to using the language of natural rights as justification for a complete break with England. What caused this massive shift? While the change in mood is most often attributed to the various taxes and restrictions imposed on the colonies by the British, my research has led me to a different conclusion. My thesis is that it was actually the American Prohibitory Act of 1775 that ignited the American Revolution. What was the American Prohibitory Act, and why did it have such a profound impact on the American Colonies? More importantly, why have most of us never heard it even mentioned in a history class?

The Prohibitory Act, passed by Parliament and signed into law by King George III in December of 1775, comprised five main points: 1) it declared that the American Colonies were in full rebellion (even though they were still seeking reconciliation and had just delivered the Olive Branch Petition three months prior); 2) it further stated that, as a result of their rebellion, all trade with the Colonies was prohibited; 3) it decreed that the British Navy was given full authority to seize American ships and their crews, as well as the ships and crews of anyone caught trading with the Colonies; 4) it authorized the British Navy to sell any ships seized under the authority of the Prohibitory Act, along with their cargoes, and to divide the proceeds of any such sale among the crew of the Navy vessel that had seized it; 5) finally, it proclaimed that the crews of any seized vessels were to be impressed into service in the British Navy.

When news of the passage of the Prohibitory Act arrived in the colonies, the reaction was swift and decisive. Colonists who had been, prior to the Act, pushing for reconciliation, were suddenly talking to each other through letters about the need to prepare for a break with their homeland and their King. The grievances the Colonists had with the Prohibitory Act were even included in the language of the Declaration of Independence. Further, the Prohibitory Act was one of two acts (along with the Boston Port Act) that were formally repealed by the British Parliament as part of the peace accord that ended the Revolutionary War and opened diplomatic relations between Great Britain and the newly created United States of America. So why, then, has the American Prohibitory Act faded into obscurity in modern American historical scholarship? Join me as I explore this question and dive into the archives for a satisfactory answer.