Explain Why I Am Mad

Many colonists were angered because of high taxes England chose to enforce on them. These taxes were a result of the British participation and victory in the French and Indian war. However, what made the colonists even more angry was the fact that they were being taxed without representation in England’s Parliament. The colonists thought that, in order to be taxed by the British, they should have representation in it. They saw it as unfair to be taxed by a government they had no say in. As Patrick Henry said in his speech made to the Virginia House of Burgesses, “We can under law be taxed only by our own representatives...The Stamp Act is against the law. We must not obey it…” (Doc. 1). Since many colonists thought this taxation broke the law, some of them chose to protest by going to the House of Burgesses, boycotting imports, or simply not paying it in response. This response is justified; if

Huge debts were owed to Great Britain for supplying the colonists with military support and supplies. To pay the dues, there was the establishment of the Stamp Act, the taxation on domestic goods and services. A tax on domestic merchandise brought even more anger to the colonists. The Sugar Act, the Townshed Duties and the Tea Act were also all introduced with the same fundamentals: applying tax on goods whether it be directly or indirectly, domestic or international. “British commercial regulations imposed a paltry economic burden on Americans, who enjoyed a rapid economic growth and a standard of living higher than their European counterparts” (McGaughy). Each act resulted in irritated colonists. Some even retaliated by tarring and feathering certain English tax enforcers living in the colonies.

There were several acts that were passed without the consideration of the colonists that would force them to pay a ridiculous amount of taxes to the British mainland. One of these acts was named the Stamp Act, which was enacted in 1765, forced the colonists to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper that they used. This would include legal documents, license, commercial contracts and newspapers in the tax. This tax mostly effected the wealthier and influential of the colonists and would force them to unite in opposition. There were several other acts that would be passed that would force the colonists to pay undue taxes to the British, such as the Quartering Act and the Tea

These disgusting, filthy colonists think that they are in control. I mean honestly, what do they think they know about running a colony and making people pay taxes after a war. They need to understand that being run by the British is the only way they can survive. On top of that this guy named Benjamin Franklin thinks he can unite the colonies by making a poster. They don’t need unity, they need a ruler that can guide them through our economic troubles.Join or Die? What was he thinking anyways? The French and Indian War was an expensive war we need to pay off the debt somehow. Were not being unreasonable anyways,. How much harm could a couple of taxes do anyways?

You passed an act that surprised the american colonies with a new tax that only affected the american colonies, no one else. You made an act to were we had to pay taxes on EVERY Single piece of printed paper we used and a lot of them we have to use for our colonie to FUNCTION. such as Ship’s papers, legal documents, Licenses, newspapers, other publications, and you even taxed playing cards, What do you get out of this. Your country isn't even that important.

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 level of resentment between the 13 Colonies and the British was enough to spark a revolutionary war and it did. The outrage over taxation without representation was only intensified when the town of Concord got word that the British were coming to confiscate their weapons and their gunpowder. According to Forsht (2011) author of the Boston Tea Party the British fought several costly war of which they wanted the American Colonies to pay by stamping them for printed materials such as newspaper, magazines and playing cards. Forsht (2011), stated that the American colonies had no representation in parliament yet they were being taxed by a government in which they had no voice. This was all going to change on the night of 19 April 1775.

What if you were in a country where you were forced to overpay on everyday items, but were not able to change this in any way? If you would feel angry, and frustrated, then you would have sympathized with the American colonists in the mid 1700s. America had grown tired of being taxed relentlessly because of the heavy payment of the French and Indian War. One-sided acts and laws such as the Intolerable Acts and the Stamp Act treated the colonists unfairly. Thoughts drifted toward rebellion, and the people were empowered by acts of defiance against the British. The Boston Tea party and the speech by Patrick Henry made the Brits pass more laws and acts, causing an uproar in the colonies. Many unreasonable laws and acts of defiance led the country

The colonists did not mind the taxes as much because some of the items that were taxed were unnecessary, however they did mind that the British were using their power as an excuse to tax the people for no reason (controlling them). The people’s money was not used in a useful matter, it was used for nothing, just extra money for the British to have. “The raising of revenue… was never intended… Never did the British parliament, (until the passing of the Stamp act) think of imposing duties in America for the purpose of raising a revenue. The Townshend Acts claim the authority to impose duties on these colonies, not for the regulation of trade… but for the single purpose of levying money upson us.” (Document 2). The British just decided one day to just tax the colonies for no reason and the people had no say in it. Also, the British soldiers would come to Boston and take the Boston colonists jobs. Men and women would lose their jobs because the British would take it away from them, they were stealing people’s jobs. The British were taking their money and now their jobs after all the colonists did for them in the French and Indian war. That is not fair for them to run the people like that and it had to be

The American colonies had good reason to suspect some other motives were at play in Britain and with their fears came more taxes. With their ever-growing belief that in some way Britain was devising a plan to seize their liberties, colonists started to boycott British luxury goods so Britain would have to stop the taxes since they would not be making revenue. However, this did not stop Parliament from adding new taxes to the list. In 1767, the Townshend Revenue Acts were imposed and set a new series of taxes on the colonists to offset the costs of administering and protecting the American colonies. Items taxed include imports such as paper, tea, glass, lead and paints. The restrictions Britain

In addition, the British don’t have to pay the tax. We should receive the same rights, however, we don’t. This is unfair treatment. The recent law is also expensive. We are forced to pay for the stamp for each product the colonists create. Businesses shouldn’t have to pay for these stamps. They are too expensive. These laws hurt America and should be stopped.

I was at school, during history I told Mr.Bush if the Stamp Act was enacted. Some historians believe that the Stamp Act was one of the most ridiculous enactments because the British taxed everything the colonists bought from the British. Even though it was a good way of raising money,(the British did not have enough money after the French and Indian war) it was unnecessary. The British could have raised money multiple different ways, like conquering another area or mining in the mountains near the colonies, but instead of these ways the British created the most ridiculous enactments in U.S. history. They made multiple families suffer from financial problems. That is why the colonists protested against the Stamp Act. This is also why people burned down tax collectors houses they felt like the took their freedoms away.

One of the major causes was the Stamp Act in 1765. This was issued by Parliament to tax every piece of printed paper colonists used. Other documents such as newspapers, playing cards and any form of printed publication were also taxed. Money collected by these taxations were used to pay costs of defending the American frontier. Colonists viewed this act of Parliament as means to raise money without legislative approval. ¨Reactions to the Stamp Act included riots and boycotts of British goods. Crowds calling themselves Sons of Liberty prevented stamped papers from being unloaded from British ships.¨ Another organization called the Daughters of Liberty was formed to promote production of homemade cloth, not imported by the British. Nine colonies met in New York City to create a statement in which the Stamp Act would be repealed.

I am writing you this letter because you’re making us pay tax for tea, ink, paper and etc. I hate our homes being run by troops. You ordered troops to close Boston Harbor for the tea protest. We didn’t think it was fair so we wrote the declaration and when you refused to read it the colonists sent the British red coats running back home due to King George thinking they were a fake.

It is the year 1765, we shouldn’t be taxed on silly things such as paper. I am upset that the British Parliament believes that they if they have debt, they can automatically just tax us and everything will be fine. The Parliament is doing the wrong because they did not have the colonies consent to tax us. The British Parliament should not be able to tax our colonies without our consent. I am a man who believes in freedom, we should not have to follow everything that they say.