jun 26, 1767 - Writs of Assistance

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Writs of assistance were written orders given by the Parliament to customs officers in America during the Townshend Acts. These gave the officers the right to search any place they believed there could be smuggled goods, with no consequence for damage of goods. This increased friction between colonists and England because the colonists believe this violated their rights to privacy. One notable example was the search of the house of merchant Daniel Malcolm, which was widely publicized and exaggerated to support both the colonists’ and British perspective.

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