A Fine Collection of American Literature and History

London: Printed by Mark Baskett, 1765. Folio. (ii), pp. 579-596. Full modern marbled paper-covered boards; all edges untrimmed; recto of title-page and verso of final leaf unevenly toned. ESTC N56865

A fine copy of the Quartering Act of 1765, a cause of significant unrest in the American colonies in the years leading up to the American Revolution. This Act passed by the British Parliament stipulated that the expense of providing barracks or other accommodations to house British regulars in North America was the responsibility of the colonial governments. If the barracks proved to be too small, the colonies were then to accommodate the soldiers in local inns, stables, ale houses, and other places. While the act did not directly stipulate housing soldiers in residents' homes--a popular image used to great propagandistic effect--the New York and Massachusetts governments in particular did not like being commanded to provide quarter. In response New York did not comply with the law, and as a result, in 1767, Parliament passed the New York Restraining Act that prohibited the Royal Governor from signing any legislation until the Assembly complied with the law.