How did a writ of assistance work?
A) It helped colonial merchants cut through the red tape of imperial trade regulations.
B) It allowed the British to search a colonial merchant's house where smuggled goods were suspected, without requiring proof or probable cause, and seize any items found.
C) It required prosecutors to present evidence of probable cause for suspicion of smuggling in requesting a search warrant.
D) It required that specified colonial products be landed in Britain before being shipped to other countries.
E) It required that colonial commerce agents provide subsidies to merchants engaged in trade outside the British Empire.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Writs of assistance were general search warrants issued by the British government, allowing customs officers to enter any location during the day to search for smuggled goods without needing to specify the place or the goods, and without requiring proof or probable cause.

How Did a Writ of Assistance Work