The Stamp Act

Hundreds of years ago, there was a war that made the British stop controlling the American colonies and made what is today the United States of America. The colonies were huge underdogs with poor amounts of supplies and clothing, but surprisingly found a way to victory and got their independence from the British. Since the war, America has been an independent and powerful country in the world as they still are today. Sparks flew in colonist anger as British Parliament passed acts that America thought were unreasonable, such as the stamp act, this act was in place so the British could raise money. The colonists at this time had to buy stamps that were imprinted into paper goods, newspapers, documents, advertisements, and playing cards. The stamp act was one of the most hated acts by the Americans since it applied to everyone and they always needed the stamps. Another act the British made was a series of taxes called the townshend acts in 1767. This act was a tax on all imported goods, and made the Patriots

Though the American colonists had not achieved a true, uniform sense of identity or unity by 1776, on the eve of Revolution, the progress towards unity and the inchoate idea of an “American” between 1750 and 1776 is inevitable in both existence and significance. Previous to the French and Indian War, America as a whole had been, more or less, loyal mercantile-based, and subservient to the British crown as British colonists in the New World; however, the Americans' sense of unity kindled and proliferated with the increased tax burdens and coercive Parliamentary decisions, while even until 1776,

Just the other day a fellow colonist asked me if I thought the Stamp Act was justified. Not only do I not find the Stamp Act justified, I find it absurd! Paying a tax on newspapers, legal documents, licenses, and even playing cards is something that would only come straight from England! Prime Minister George Grenville was wrong about the Sugar Act and he is wrong about the Stamp Act too. While I understand that our sweet Jesus said “…Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's,” in Mark 12:17, (Life Application Study Bible 2007) I think us colonist are giving our fair share to Caesar, or in our case England. The Stamp Act is a way “to make the colonists pay part of the cost of stationing British troops” (Hinschelwood

The American settlers were left at outlaws and out of sovereignty protection under King George III of England while still able to be charge for breaking British reforms and laws such as smuggling across the Trans-Atlantic trade routes after August 1775. These goods included tea, coffee and other raw goods that supplied England’s industry and production of goods causing a disruption in slave trade and income through transnational trade which vital to the upkeep of the colonies during times of financial difficulties such as the introduction of the Stamp Act of 1765 on all documentations and newspaper to finance Britain’s Seven Years' War between 1756 and 1763. Another significant event, The Boston Tea Party of 1773 due to the taxation under the Tea Act depicts the civil unrest of colonists against the British Parliament and to regain rights to trade without taxation. The need to sever ties with England not only signalled the transition from colonialists to become freed men but during the American Revolutionary War it allowed the equality of colonialists as equal men thus it is the liberal ideals and the post-colonial attitudes created by mistreatment of the government that highlight the outcome of this rebellious period.

     The passing of the Stamp Act by Parliament in 1765 caused a rush of angry protests by the colonists in British America that perhaps "aroused and unified Americans as no previous political event ever had." It levied a tax on legal documents, almanacs, newspapers, and nearly every other form of paper used in the colonies. Adding to this hardship was the need for the tax to be paid in British sterling, not in colonial paper money. Although this duty had been in effect in England for over half a century and was already in effect in several colonies in the 1750?s, it called into question the authority of Parliament over the overseas colonies that had no representation therein.

     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.

After a long time coming, the 13 colonies: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, finally won their independence against the british government on July 4th 1776. This war of independence made not only political changes for the US but also around the world. After years of tension building up, the first strike for americans to be against britain was when the British government implemented the Stamp Act. This was a tax on all stamps to help reimburse Britain for the land they acquired for the 13 colonies. The colonist weren’t all that thrilled about this tax not only because the tax was high but because they had no representation

There are numerous misconceptions, inaccurate quotations, and utter lies told about the American Revolution that it is creates a challenge for those who analyze the period and share their knowledge with other individuals. One of the many myths regarding revolution is that The Americans won the war because of their well-planned Guerrilla Tactics. Parliament was imposing numerous taxes on American Colonists, they despised the British for this, more so because they did not have a voice in government while still having to pay taxes (taxation without representation). In 1765, the British Parliament imposed the Stamp Act on all Colonists; a first attempt at raising revenue. This absurd law taxed colonial commercial and legal papers, newspapers, pamphlets, cards, almanacs, and dice. The colonists were furious because they had no say in the

[ 3 ]. Horton, James Oliver, and Lois E. Horton. Slavery and the Making of America. New

“No Taxation without Representation.” Everyone has heard this quote, but how many know where it came from? In March of 1765, British Parliament passed a law that the colonists must pay a tax on any licenses, contracts, wills, warrants, playing cards, and paper. Every one of these things had to have a stamp on it to show that they paid the tax. (Stamp Act Powerpoint) This was called the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act was the most important event that caused the Revolutionary War.

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.

The American Revolution politically and economically shaped the development of the country. The British established the Proclamation Line of 1763, that did not allow colonists to settle beyond the Appalachians. The taxes laid on the colonists economically shaped the development of the country. The British laid taxes on the colonies that helped get rid of the huge debt that accumulated from the French and Indian war. This was known as the Stamp Act of 1765.

Is it about time the colonists want to break away from the Britains? The colonists have been under Britain's wing for a long time, and it is about time for them to break free. Britain didn’t want to let them free, and the only way for the colonists to break free is to fight for it. Being tired of taxes, raising revenue towards the government by collecting money from imports, and the cause of Boston Massacre just invoked the American Revolution. The colonists might of been weaker, but they didn’t give up, which gave them the motivation to go against the red coats without hesitation.

Anger grew in the colonies. The Stamp Act made the colonists mad because they had no representation or a debate of the act. Parliament thought it would

It was created to increase the profit earned from the colonists by having a stamp that was required by law to placed on all newspapers, legal, and commercial documents. The purpose of the stamp act was to raise money to pay off the debt from the French and Indian War, raise money to pay to have the military in the colonies to reinforce the taxes, assert the authority of the British government over the colonies, reinforce policies from previous acts, and to implement taxes on documents. The act required the stamp to be placed on almost every item that was printed on paper from playing cards to diplomas and the tax had to be paid in silver or gold coins. The colonists were outraged because the British were taxing them and the colonies had no representatives in parliament. They protested using the now famous quote,”No taxation without representation!”