British oppression: the cause of the American Revolution?

When the Stamp Act of 1765 was passed in the Thirteen Colonies, the colonists were compelled to rethink their loyalty and standing with the British monarchy. The Stamp Act would be the first actual tax levied upon the colonists, which caused outrage in the Thirteen Colonies. The act would place a tax on any document and printed paper that they used: such as legal documents, newspapers, and licenses. All thirteen colonies did not agree that the tax was passed with legality and refused to acknowledge that such tax existed. They would all band together to ensure that the Stamp Act would be repealed and would become nonexistent.

The Stamp Act was an important act introduced by the British Prime Minister George Grenville that was then passed in March 1765 by the British Parliament. The purpose was to raise money for national debt of Britain after the Seven Years War and Parliament needed means to help fund expensive costs of keeping troops inside the colonies. The act levied a tax on legal documents, almanacs, newspapers, and nearly every other form of paper used in the colonies. The British Government felt that the colonies were the primary reason of the military presence and should pay a portion of the expense. The American colonies did not take kindly to this matter.

The American Revolution was a war fought between Great Britain and the American colonies over independence from 1775 to 1783 which resulted in a fundamental change in American politics, society, and economics. The American Revolution began as a result of Great Britain taxing the colonies to cover the debts accumulated through the French and Indian War. While the majority of the colonies stayed loyal to their ‘Mother Land’, some of the colonist felt resentment toward England. Some colonist felt that England had no right to tax the colonies, while they had no representation in parliament. This created a divide within in the colonies between those who were in favor of independence-Patriots, and those who were still loyal to the Crown-

These stamps were required on bills of sale for trade items, and on various types of commercial and legal documents, anything from playing cards to diplomas to marriage licenses. Grenville claimed that the Stamp act was needed in order to help defray the cost of keeping British troops stationed in the colonies in order to protect them. To the colonists this was an invalid answer, because the French were out of North America, and they no longer needed protection. Instead, this Act was viewed as a tax solely to make money for England: "A right to impose an internal tax on the colonies, without their consent for the single purpose of revenue, is denied..." (Document B). Also, anyone that disobeyed these laws was tried in the admiralty courts, were juries were not allows, and you were guilty until proven innocent. In response, the colonists formed the Stamp Act Congress, in which the members drew up a statement of the rights and grievances of the colonists to send to the king, however it was ignored by England. Instead, they started a steady boycott of British goods. It is after this that the colonists realized that they were being used by England, and began their cry of "no taxation without representation!" Parliament had thought that it was making easy money off of the colonies; instead it had started the fire of rebellion burning, and the Stamp Act was soon repealed.

The American Revolution was the most important event to ever take place in this country. This war took place from 1765-1783 and involved Great Britain and the United States of America. Without this revolution, the colonies would have never gained independence from Great Britain and the United States could still be under their control. However, this revolution did not occur without a cause, early Americans fought for independence because of unfair treatment from England. There were many causes to the Revolution including high taxes, unfair laws, and even colonists being killed.

All the documents had to be formally printed in England and were distinguished by a special stamp. Then these pieces of paper had to be bought from a special agent at a price. This meant that the colonists had to pay taxes on every thing they bought from the British government. It was expected that this tax would raise 60,000 pounds annually. The colonists despised this and tried to buy as little as they could from England. After this act the colonists realised that the British government was revenue-raising. The colonists felt that the British Government should be helping to protect ones property not to take it. The colonists argued that they had no say or representation in the government and that is when the outcry started, “No taxation without representation!”

The American Revolution was an unequivocal example of the ability of a nation’s people to rise and defeat an inadequate government. When a government fails to protect its inhabitants, citizens will grow uneasy and fight for their rightful cause. The British government’s rule over its colonies was erroneous and harmful to the colonists’ best interests. Best described by John Hancock, the British government’s rule caused many colonists to become despondent with their ruler. “As though they thought it not enough to violate our civil rights, they endeavored to deprive us of the enjoyment of our religious privileges; to vitiate our morals, and thereby render us deserving of destruction.” Evidently, the American Revolution was sparked by a

Beginning with the Stamp Acts, the first tax (March 22nd, 1765) to the colonists by the British, ignited the strong belief of “no taxation without representation” coined by Jonathan Mayhew. The Stamp Acts consisted of a tax on ship’s papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and playing cards; which in the colonist’s defense, is a common item especially with merchants who would have to buy licenses and ship papers on the daily. The money gathered by the Stamp Act was to pay for the ten thousand troops to be stationed near the Appalachian mountains in the case of defending them. However, colonists believed that taxes previously were to help economic growth, but not raise money. Also, no colonial legislative actions had given approval either (Document 6).

the colonists and protect them against heavy taxation by the British. In reaction to the

With opportunities of land to barter and resources to use, colonists were eager to move past the legal limits. The prosperity they saw past the lines drawn by the British were far too great to be taken away by rulings from another continent. But not only did Britain see the need to restrict the colonists’ geography, but was eager to find a way to pay for the debt they had accumulated following the war they had just fought. Their previous practices of salutary neglect towards the colonists was not creating enough revenue to support their financial obligations. With the idea that colonists should pay for the military support British troops offered them, they imposed the first of many taxes on the colonies, the Stamp Act of 1765. This act taxed all paper products, which heavily weighed on lawyers, printers and merchants. With enough opposition from the colonists, Britain repealed the act which began to give colonists faith in their ability to stand up for their rights. Still in demand of revenue, parliament introduced the next set of tariffs, the Townshend Acts of 1767, just two years later. These acts taxed all glass, lead, paint, paper and tea. Having a direct affect on nearly all colonists, the Sons of

The Stamp Act of 1765 was passed by parliament as a direct tax on the colonies for paper products carrying an embossed revenue stamp. The revenue created by this act would fund the British troops still stationed in America, protecting the colonies.

On March 22, 1765, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act. The was imposed on the American colonies and forced them to pay a tax on every single piece of printed paper used. Some of the things included in this were legal documents, newspapers, Ship’s papers, licenses, bills, claims, court records, certificates, and even playing cards. There were 54 actual separate items that were taxed in concordance to this act. This effected almost the entire population but hit lawyers, printers, merchants and ministers the hardest. The purpose of the act was once again to raise money to pay for the expenses of the war. It was also introduced without the approval of the colonial legislature. The Stamp Act caused a lot of protesting and violence and the people wanting freedom

The American Revolution, which occurred approximately from 1765 to 1786, is also known as the American Revolutionary War and the U.S. War of Independence, for good reason. The conflict rose from rising tensions amid the people of Great Britain’s thirteen American colonies and the colonial government, which represented the British crown. Clashes between Britain’s troops and colonial militiamen in Lexington and Concord in April 1775 kicked off the armed conflict, and by the following summer, the rebels were waging a full-scale war for their independence. The American Revolution had tremendous consequences, and was not simply a victory of arms on the battlefield, but also a feat of economic and political ideals, and vital societal changes. This huge period of history set into motion greater changes in American life and created a country, demonstrating just how this revolutionary age in time more than earned its name. This battle of independence waged by the American colonies against Britain influenced political ideas and revolutions around the globe, as a young, largely divided nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.

To help pay off their debt, England scheduled the initiation of the Stamp Act, which placed a tax on fifty different documents, on November 1, 1765 (Gale Par. 2; Brindell 13). This act was to put a tax “upon every paper commonly called a pamphlet and upon every newspaper” (Copeland 193). Because the Stamp Act was an internal tax, which meant this tax law was only enforced in America, this made the colonists even

In 1764, the British Ministry stated that they were initiating a tax requiring the colonist to pay for the stationing of British troops. This act, which got its name from how it was carried out, placed a stamp on items such as Newspapers, Legal Documents, diplomas, etc. George Grenville stated that, “If they are not subject to this burden of tax, they are not entitled to the privilege of