Quartering Act (1774)

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The Quartering Act of 1774, formally "An Act for the better providing suitable Quarters for Officers and Soldiers in his Majesty's Service in North America," was a bill passed by the Parliament of Great Britain that required the American colonies to provide unoccupied buildings to quarter British soldiers. It was approved by George III on June 7, 1774, and was one of the "Intolerable Acts" strenuously opposed by the colonists.

Prior to the passage of the law, British soldiers had stayed primarily in government barracks; in Boston, for example, this was outside the city limits. The new law allowed British soldiers to stay essentially wherever they desired, including inside the city.

As a consequence of such quartering, the 3rd amendment was added to the US Constitution, explicitly forbidding the quartering of troops.[citation needed]