Cider Bill of 1763
Encyclopedia
The Cider Bill of 1763 was a proposed measure by the British
government of Lord Bute to put a tax
on the production of cider
. Britain's national debt had reached unprecedented levels during the early 1760s following the country's involvement in the Seven Years War
which had been very expensive.
Lord Bute proposed a tax of four shillings which would be levied on every hogshead
of cider made. This produced an instant reaction from the cider-producing areas, particularly in the West Country
which elected many MPs. Riots broke out and there was widespread outrage against the bill. The dispute added to Bute's growing unpopularity and in mid 1763 he stepped down as Prime Minister. His successor George Grenville
pushed through the tax, defeating an opposition motion for repeal
in February 1764.
The reaction to the tax has been compared to the similar hostility in the American colonies
to the Stamp Act of 1765. George Grenville initially went ahead with the Stamp Act because previous bills had not aroused such anger in America as the Cider Tax had in Britain.
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
government of Lord Bute to put a tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
on the production of cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
. Britain's national debt had reached unprecedented levels during the early 1760s following the country's involvement in the Seven Years War
Great Britain in the Seven Years War
The Kingdom of Great Britain was one of the major participants in the Seven Years' War which lasted between 1756 and 1763. Britain emerged from the war as the world's leading colonial power having gained a number of new territories at the Treaty of Paris in 1763 and established itself as the...
which had been very expensive.
Lord Bute proposed a tax of four shillings which would be levied on every hogshead
Hogshead
A hogshead is a large cask of liquid . More specifically, it refers to a specified volume, measured in either Imperial units or U.S. customary units, primarily applied to alcoholic beverages such as wine, ale, or cider....
of cider made. This produced an instant reaction from the cider-producing areas, particularly in the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
which elected many MPs. Riots broke out and there was widespread outrage against the bill. The dispute added to Bute's growing unpopularity and in mid 1763 he stepped down as Prime Minister. His successor George Grenville
George Grenville
George Grenville was a British Whig statesman who rose to the position of Prime Minister of Great Britain. Grenville was born into an influential political family and first entered Parliament in 1741 as an MP for Buckingham...
pushed through the tax, defeating an opposition motion for repeal
Repeal
A repeal is the amendment, removal or reversal of a law. This is generally done when a law is no longer effective, or it is shown that a law is having far more negative consequences than were originally envisioned....
in February 1764.
The reaction to the tax has been compared to the similar hostility in the American colonies
British America
For American people of British descent, see British American.British America is the anachronistic term used to refer to the territories under the control of the Crown or Parliament in present day North America , Central America, the Caribbean, and Guyana...
to the Stamp Act of 1765. George Grenville initially went ahead with the Stamp Act because previous bills had not aroused such anger in America as the Cider Tax had in Britain.