First Continental Congress Analysis

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making easy money off of the colonies; instead it had started the fire of rebellion burning, and the Stamp Act was soon repealed.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 First Continental Congress made its mark in history on September 5,1774 in Philadelphia’s Carpenters Hall. According to the u-s-history.com website, “The idea of such a meeting was advanced a year earlier by Benjamin Franklin, but

(Doc H) In order to get a stamp the colonists had to pay a collector. The colonists then had mobs to frighten the stamp collectors and burned their house taking all their hatred out on them in order for the collectors to resign. The colonists claimed that the act was unconstitutional and with all their protest it was repealed in

     The Stamp Act, however, created much more protest. In 1765, Parliament passed an act requiring the colonists to pay tax stamps on any paper product. The act infuriated colonists because this act was a direct attempt to raise money without the consent of the colonial assemblies. The colonists felt that they were being taxed without representation. With great anger, colonists refused to allow the tax stamps to be sold. Merchants even agreed not to order British goods until the act was abolished. Then, in October of 1765, delegates gathered to discuss the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act Congress stated that the right of taxation belongs only to the people and their elected representatives. Also, they decided that Parliament couldn’t deny their right to trial by jury. They argued that Parliament didn’t have the power to tax them because they had no representatives in Parliament. They denied Parliament’s right to tax them for revenue. The Stamp Act was repealed in 1766, but following that, Parliament passed the Declaratory Act. It stated that the kind and Parliament had full legislative power over the colonies regardless.

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 taxes passed by Parliament angered the colonists because they were unconstitutional, and did not give Americans representation in the courts. In a resolution, the text states “... This tax… [is] unconstitutional. We have always understood it to be a grand and fundamental principle.. That no … man should be subject to any tax to which he has not given consent… In the … courts one judge presides alone! No juries [are allowed]” ( Document 1). Here, John Adams is informing his peers of his negative opinion on the first of Parliament’s taxes, the Stamp Act, which was passed on November 1, 1765. This act required Colonists to pay unreasonable fees on almost all printed documents. It is an

The Stamp Act angered the colonists because of the possibility for enacting other similar taxes in the future. Further, the colonists were not represented in Parliament, so they felt they were being taxed without representation. The tax was considered by many colonists to be illegal. A speech by Patrick Henry to the Virginia House of Burgesses helped demonstrate the colonists were not going to stand by and do nothing while King George treated them unfairly. As a result, the Stamp Act was repealed in 1776.(Document 1)

The Colonists were very upset with the British for putting unfair taxes on them. These taxes were called the stamp act. For example, the Stamp Act taxed Playing cards,dice, newspapers,and even a lawyer's license(Doc. 3). The colonists responded by boycotting the British goods. They also showed their feelings by the Boston Tea Party (Oi.). Patrick Henry stated

The First continental congress took place from September 5 through October 26, 1774. Delegates from each colony, except Georgia, met at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They discussed the current situation with Britain including the Intolerable Acts, which the British Parliament had imposed on Boston as punishment for the Boston Tea Party. The delegate included Patrick Henry, George Washington, John Adams, and John Jay.

Most were outraged and spoke out against the injustice such as in the speech by Patrick Henry when he states, “We can under law be taxed only by our representatives. We have no representatives in the British Parliament...The Stamp Act is against the law. We must not obey it...King George is a tyrant” (Document 1). Speeches like this inspired the patriots to rise up and take action against the law. Many smuggled goods such as newspapers and letters while others made propaganda against the British. Colonists began protesting publicly and called much attention to the problem facing the colonies which the British did not like at all. The colonists showed so much revolt against the tax that the British Parliament repealed it only a year after it was passed. That battle had been won by the colonists but the war was yet to

The United States Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation because the document lacks the complete effectiveness to govern a body of people. The initial Constitution (articles of confederation) asked a lot from its colonies that wasn’t reciprocated. The articles were all over the place in-structure, causing many discrepancies. Within less than a decade its weakness in the ability to govern a body of people and required complete restructure, if the people were to move forward. At a time when the new states were operating on their own no longer under British rule.

Colonists became furious with the Stamp Act and many people boycotted. They refused to pay taxes, ignored the stamps, and they even formed a secret society called the Sons of Liberty. Eventually, Parliament repealed the act but created the Declaratory Act. This showed that the Parliament had the right to make any laws. In 1767, they passed the Townshend Act which placed taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. This angered the colonists once again because it took power away from colonial

Americans, who did not elect members of the parliament, opposed the act not only because their inability to pay the tax, but also because it violated the newly enunciated principle of “no taxation without representation.” The constitutional principles and protest tactics established during the stamp act crisis laid the groundwork for the American Revolution. Arguing that not only their own representative’s assemblies could tax them, the colonies insisted that the act was unconstitutional. And they escorted mob violence to intimidate stamp collectors into resigning. Parliament repealed the stamp act in 1766, but issued a declaratory act at the same time to reaffirm its authority to pass any colonial legislation it saw fit.

Thus, Merchants in the colonial brought forth a storm of protest, “Newspapers and pamphlets” written “no taxation without representation,” Patrick Henry introduced “In the spring of 1765, the Virginia House of Burgesses adopted a series of resolves denouncing the parliamentary taxation and asserting the colonists’ right to be taxed only by their elected representatives.” (p. 42). Due to this act the Stamp Act “unconstitutional” and in 1766, “Parliament repealed the Stamp Act.” Britain reaction after the Stamp Act and the Boston Tea Party was not the smarts moves, for example, closed Boston Harbor; put Massachusetts under direct British control; passing the Quartering Act, which required the colonies to provide barracks and supplies to British

When they passed they stamp act, the colonist were furious and refused to buy any printed Items until they repealed the act. The reason for this was the fact that the british government did not allow them to send a representative into the house of representatives, and still taxed them. The colonists did not like this judgement and