Reflection On The Stamp Act Of 1765

The mistake of not making simple reforms, like allowing one representative in parliament per colony would lead to revolts, and even groups coming together. Some revolts were peaceful while others, which affected the tax collectors and stamp sellers, were violent resulting in the tarring and feathering of the British officials. The Sons of Liberty, led by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and Patrick Henry, were a very radical and overdramatic group, Patrick Henry would make the fateful statement of “Give me liberty or give me death.” On October 7th, 1765 the Stamp act congress would meet there were representatives from 9 of the 13 colonies. The representatives made a decision to boycott British goods. By March of 1776, the Stamp Acts will have been appealed, but the government in England is not happy.

The 18th century can be marked as a period of internal and external struggle for the American colonists. From improper representation, to unfair taxes, such as the Stamp Act, to being overall abused by Britain, the colonists were justifiably angry. From this anger, the slogan “No taxation without representation” was born and quickly began to emerge from the lips of almost every colonist all across America. The demand from colonists everywhere for no taxation without representation weighed heavily as a symbol for democracy, as it revealed the mindset of many – Britain was using the hardworking colonists and took their money without even giving them a say – and laid the foundation for the American revolutionary war, allowing more arguments and

By suddenly ending “salutary neglect”, the British Parliament had, unknowing, prompted the beginnings of the Americans' grievances. Though not much protest occurred in response to the Proclamation (most colonists moved West anyways), the Act itself would set a precedent for Americans' sense of anxiety. The first direct tax on the American colonies, the Stamp act, contributed significantly to the beginnings of pre-Revolutionary unity. With the rallying battle cry, “No taxation without representation”, the American colonists proceeded to call together the Stamp Act Congress. Not only was this event significant due to the fact that it was another group meeting, automatically signifying at least some unity, but major proponents of Revolution, such as Samuel Adams, started new efforts towards uniting colonists against Britain, such as the Sons of Liberty. The following several years, though not marked with tremendous amounts of unification, definitely contributed to a growing sense of anxiety and oppression amongst the American colonists. With more direct taxes such as the Tea Acts, Coercive Acts, and Quartering Acts. Grievance after grievance, the number of “unreasonable” British actions inevitably forced the Americans into a dilemma. While some colonists, such as Richmond Henry Lee, equated such acts to the British desire to “ruin” the colonies, others, such as Mather Byles, believed that a radical

Though many laws were passed taxing the colonists, America had no say in the British Parliament. Patrick Henry’s speech embodies this argument when he says “We have no representatives in the British Parliament…… The Stamp Act is against the law. We must not obey it” (Doc. 1). This act of defiance caught the colonists’ attention and made them feel that perhaps they could change the laws after all. Another act of defiance against the British was the Boston Tea Party. The Boston Tea Party was a riot against the British that involved colonists dumping tons of tea from British ships into the sea. Britain then passed a law that said that the Boston Harbor would be closed until the colonists paid for the tea. This angered the colonists even more, and eventually led to the Revolution. As you can see, many rebellious deeds inspired the colonists and helped them confront the British.

During the Stamp Act of 1765, the American colonists successfully repealed the tax by lobbying. Unfortunately this resulted in the failed attempt to end taxation without representation. The Stamp Act crisis occured prior to the Revolutionary War from 1765-1766. It was one of the important influences of the start of the war ten years later. The Americans demonstrated their courage many times throughout history, and it was shown during this crisis.

In the quest to live in America, many Englishmen risked their lives to make the journey, which proved their desire to live a life of comfort and assurance of posterity for their future generations. In the book, The Birth of the Republic, the fears of the colonist’s property and livelihood being threatened is brought to life by Edmund Burke’s comment on British tax laws as “a sure symptom of an ill conducted state;" which signifies the idea that “liberty rested on property, and when Great Britain threatened the security of property, it threatened their liberty.” As a result, large groups of men “In towns and villages everywhere formed themselves into associations which they called “Sons of Liberty” and declared their intention to resist the Stamp Act, as they usually put it,” “to the last extremity.” Like many people in Colonial America, the Sons of Liberty were colonists who believed strongly in the extermination of all British taxes including the Stamp Act, which made “almost anything formally written or printed would have to be on special stamped paper (for it to be taxed).” People feared an overpowering rule from King George iii would soon come if they let the Stamp Act remain active. If the colonists failed to protest the acts, the belief of the Republican Ideology that

In 1765, the English king was terribly in debt after the French and Indian War. His solution? The infamous Stamp Act that riled up citizens throughout the American colonies. But why were they so upset? They already payed less taxes than mainland englishmen, what was there to be angry about? These colonists were upset because this law was a violation of the very rights that they inherit as English citizens by the Bill of Rights.

The American colonists reacted with a secret organization called the Sons of Liberty who were supposed to intimidate the agents who collected the taxes. The colonists then made the Stamp Act Congress, who passed a document that claimed all American colonists are equal to all other British citizens. They thought it was unfair since they didn’t have a place in the British Parliament and protested “no taxation without representation!”

There is a meeting in the town hall on the subject of the Stamp Act that is about to be passed in the British Parliament. The colonists patriots are meeting over how they are going convince the loyalist of England to not jump on the Stamp act boat. Two weeks later, March 22, 1765 the Act is passed and the patriots are worried because they don’t know if they are going to go to war or not Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and the Sons of Liberty are trying to form a meeting about what they are going to try to do over to the Act that was just passed. Families reactions are even more worried because it is already hard enough to survive with very little money and now they are going to have to pay taxes on every little piece of paper that they get. Two days after the Stamp Act was passed, March 24, 1765, The Quartering Act was passed.

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.

Now the colonists see for themselves how they are being taxed, which evoked anger against Britain. The colonists wanted the Stamp Act to be repealed, but it never was (Document G). This led to the formation of the Stamp Act Congress, created to lobby against the Stamp Act. The colonists would also try to boycott products affected by the Stamp Act, and would torment the tax collectors. These protests allowed the colonists to continue to separate themselves from Britain, and ultimately led to the American

This group consisted of lawyers, merchants, politicians, and artisans who were all there to protest the stamp act. The Sons of Liberty usually relied petitions, public meetings, and pamphlets to rally support, but they would also get violent if necessary. The Stamp Act congress came together in 1765 to repeal the stamp act and deny the Parliament’s of its right to tax the colonies. British merchants who profited form colonial trade joined in the protest, fearing financial ruin. When the Stamp Act was repealed in 1766 people on both sides of the Atlantic rejoiced. While many were busy celebrating they ignored the passage of the Declaratory Act. The Declaratory Act gave the Parliament full power and authority over the colonies. The Declaratory Act also gave the Parliament the right to make laws. The Townshend Acts of 1767 placed import duties on common items such as tea, lead, glass, and dyes for paint. British customs officials used special search warrants called writs of assistance to enforce the law. Writs of assistance were much different than the modern day search warrants, because they did not specify the item sought and specific location to be searched. A customs officer with a writ and a suspicion had the right to search any where he pleased. Colonist hated these writs very much so they stopped housing the British soldiers as the quartering act of 1765 had called them to do. On the evening of March 5, 1770 a crowd of 50 or 60 angry

It’s March 23, 1765 and the Adams family is not very happy about the new law that has been put into place. John Adams involvement with the Stamp Act started in August when he published an essay into the Boston Gazette entitled “A Dissertation on Canon and Feudal Law”. When the stamp act was passed it was marked as ”A struggle for freedom”. The Stamp Act was a tax that the british put on the American Colonies in 1765, the colonies had to pay a tax on all kinds of printed materials. It was named the Stamp Act because the colonies had to buy a paper from Britain that had

The British colonists of mainland North America had exquisite hopes for the future in 1763, while the Peace of Paris officially ended the Seven Years’ War. For the reason that overdue 17th century, their lives were disrupted by means of a chain of wars among Britain and the “Catholic Powers,” Spain and France. On 1766, tax introduced on criminal documents to bargain for defence of colonies. Individuals boycotted British things as a result of they were angry as they need been the best colonies who required to pay for this tax. Tax collectors like Andrew Oliver are vulnerable through death to depart their jobs and protest the Stamp Act.

The Sons of Liberty (1765) is a formal underground organization to protect the rights for thirteen American Colonists, and fight taxes and laws by the England Government. The Patriot Samuel Adams was known as the founder and leader of the Sons of Liberty; which its resistance included demonstrations, legislative resolutions, but occasionally violence. Some significant protests such as the Stamp Act (1765), the Liberty Poles (1766), the battle of Golden Hill (1970), the burning of HMS Gaspee (1772), especially the Boston Tea Party (1773)... made the British upset and called them “Sons of Violence”. Therefore, the Sons of Liberty were the foundation that led up to the Revolutionary