Did the Stamp Act Make Britain a High Power Again

9b. The Stamp Act Controversy

When Britain repealed the Postage Human activity in 1766 — merely a year after it had been issued — colonists celebrated in the streets, as this satirical cartoon from 1766 depicts.

Something was dreadfully wrong in the American colonies.

All of sudden after over a century and a one-half of permitting relative cocky-rule, Britain was exercising direct influence over colonial life. In improver to restricting westward movement, the parent country was actually enforcing its trade laws.

Puttin' on the Writs

Writs of assistance, or general search warrants, were granted to British community inspectors to search colonial ships. The inspectors had long been charged with this directly but, until this time, had non carried it out. Violators did non receive the do good of a trial past jury; rather, they were at the mercy of the British admiralty courts.

Worst of all, the British now began levying taxes against American colonists. What had gone incorrect?

All pieces of newspaper fell under the Stamp Act of 1765. Legal documents, newspapers, and playing cards were also levied with the tax. United kingdom had several stamps to mark these documents as official.

The British signal of view is not difficult to grasp. The Vii Years' War had been terribly costly. The taxes asked of the American colonists were lower than those asked of mainland English citizens. The revenue raised from taxing the colonies was used to pay for their own defense. Moreover, the funds received from American colonists barely covered i-third of the cost of maintaining British troops in the 13 colonies.

The Americans, nonetheless, saw things through a unlike lens. What was the purpose of maintaining British garrisons in the colonies now that the French threat was gone? Americans wondered about contributing to the maintenance of troops they felt were there but to spotter them.

True, those in England paid more than in taxes, but Americans paid much more in sweat. All the country that was cleared, the Indians who were fought, and the relatives who died building a colony that enhanced the British Empire fabricated farther taxation seem insulting.

In addition to emotional appeals, the colonists began to make a political argument, besides. The tradition of receiving permission for levying taxes dated dorsum hundreds of years in British history. Merely the colonists had no representation in the British Parliament. To tax them without offering representation was to deny their traditional rights equally English subjects. This could not stand up.

The Stamp Deed of 1765 was not the first endeavor to tax the American colonies. Parliament had passed the Sugar Deed and Currency Act the previous twelvemonth. Because tax was nerveless at ports though, it was easily circumvented. Indirect taxes such as these were also much less visible to the consumer.

The Currency Act of 1764

The colonies were plagued by a shortage of legal British currency. To offset the problem, the colonies began printing their own Bills of Credit. These notes were not regulated, not backed by difficult silver or gold currency, and their use and value varied depending on where they were issued. The result was confusion compounded past fear due to the erratic colonial economy. To assuage anxious British merchant-creditors, Parliament passed the Currency Human action on September one, 1764.

Essentially, the Currency Act gave Parliament command of the colonial currency system. It abolished the Bills of Credit altogether and put the colonists at a farther economical disadvantage in their trade relations with British merchants.

	WHEREAS great quantities of paper bills of credit take been created and issued in his Majesty's colonies or plantations in America, by virtue of acts, orders, resolutions, or votes of assembly, making and declaring such bills of credit to exist legal tender in payment of coin: and whereas such bills of credit have greatly depreciated in their value, past means whereof debts take been discharged with a much less value than was contracted for, to the dandy discouragement and prejudice of the trade and commerce of his Majesty's subjects, by occasioning confusion in dealings, and lessening credit in the said colonies or plantations: for remedy whereof, may it please your virtually excellent Majesty, that it may exist enacted; and be it enacted by the Male monarch's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and eatables, in this present parliament assembled, and past the authority of the aforementioned, That from and after the get-go day of September, one g vii hundred and sixty four, no human activity, order, resolution, or vote of associates, in any of his Majesty's colonies or plantations in America, shall exist made, for creating or issuing whatsoever paper bills, or bills of credit of whatever kind or denomination whatsoever, declaring such paper bills, or bills of credit, to be legal tender in payment of whatever bargains, contracts, debts, dues, or demands whatsoever; and every clause or provision which shall hereafter be inserted in any act, order, resolution, or vote of assembly, contrary to this deed, shall be zilch and void. – extract from the Currency Act of 1764

The Postage Act

When Parliament passed the Postage stamp Human activity in March 1765, things changed. Information technology was the first direct taxation on the American colonies. Every legal document had to exist written on specially stamped newspaper, showing proof of payment. Deeds, wills, marriage licenses — contracts of any sort — were non recognized as legal in a court of police unless they were prepared on this paper. In add-on, paper, dice, and playing cards also had to bear proof of taxation payment. American activists sprang into activity.

Resolutions of the Stamp Human action Congress, 1765

IN CONGRESS IN NEW YORK
OCTOBER, 1765

The members of this Congress, sincerely devoted, with the warmest sentiments of amore and duty to His Majesty'southward Person and Government, inviolably attached to the present happy establishment of the Protestant succession, and with minds deeply impressed by a sense of the present and impending misfortunes of the British colonies on this continent; having considered every bit maturely as time volition allow the circumstances of the said colonies, esteem it our indispensable duty to make the following declarations of our humble opinion, respecting the most essential rights and liberties of the colonists, and of the grievances under which they labour, by reason of several late Acts of Parliament.

1. That His Majesty's subjects in these colonies, owe the same allegiance to the Crown of Great-United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, that is owing from his subjects built-in within the realm, and all due subordination to that baronial body the Parliament of Bang-up Britain.
2. That His Majesty'south liege subjects in these colonies, are entitled to all the inherent rights and liberties of his natural born subjects within the kingdom of Cracking-Great britain.
3. That it is inseparably essential to the freedom of a people, and the undoubted correct of Englishmen, that no taxes be imposed on them, just with their ain consent, given personally, or past their representatives.
4. That the people of these colonies are not, and from their local circumstances cannot be, represented in the House of Commons in Great-Britain.
5. That the simply representatives of the people of these colonies, are persons chosen therein past themselves, and that no taxes ever have been, or can be constitutionally imposed on them, but by their respective legislatures.
6. That all supplies to the Crown, being free gifts of the people, information technology is unreasonable and inconsistent with the principles and spirit of the British Constitution, for the people of Corking-Britain to grant to His Majesty the holding of the colonists.
7. That trial by jury is the inherent and invaluable right of every British subject in these colonies.
8. That the late Act of Parliament, entitled, An Human activity for granting and applying certain Stamp Duties, and other Duties, in the British colonies and plantations in America, etc., by imposing taxes on the inhabitants of these colonies, and the said Deed, and several other Acts, by extending the jurisdiction of the courts of Admiralty beyond its ancient limits, accept a manifest tendency to subvert the rights and liberties of the colonists.
9. That the duties imposed past several late Acts of Parliament, from the peculiar circumstances of these colonies, will be extremely burthensome and grievous; and from the scarcity of specie, the payment of them absolutely impracticable.
10. That equally the profits of the merchandise of these colonies ultimately center in Great-U.k., to pay for the manufactures which they are obliged to take from thence, they somewhen contribute very largely to all supplies granted at that place to the Crown.
11. That the restrictions imposed by several tardily Acts of Parliament, on the trade of these colonies, will return them unable to buy the manufactures of Great-Britain.
12. That the increase, prosperity, and happiness of these colonies, depend on the full and complimentary enjoyment of their rights and liberties, and an intercourse with Cracking-Great britain mutually affectionate and advantageous.
13. That it is the right of the British subjects in these colonies, to petition the King, Or either House of Parliament.

Lastly, That it is the indispensable duty of these colonies, to the best of sovereigns, to the mother country, and to themselves, to try by a loyal and dutiful address to his Majesty, and humble applications to both Houses of Parliament, to procure the repeal of the Act for granting and applying certain stamp duties, of all clauses of any other Acts of Parliament, whereby the jurisdiction of the Admiralty is extended as aforesaid, and of the other belatedly Acts for the restriction of American commerce.

– "Resolutions of the Stamp Act Congress," 1765

Taxation in this manner and the Quartering Deed (which required the American colonies to provide food and shelter for British troops) were soundly thrashed in colonial assemblies. From Patrick Henry in Virginia to James Otis in Massachusetts, Americans voiced their protest. A Stamp Act Congress was convened in the colonies to decide what to do.

The colonists put their words into action and enacted widespread boycotts of British goods. Radical groups such as the Sons and Daughters of Liberty did non hesitate to harass tax collectors or publish the names of those who did non comply with the boycotts.

Presently, the pressure on Parliament past business-starved British merchants was too not bad to acquit. The Postage stamp Act was repealed the following year.

The crisis was over, but the uneasy peace did non last long.

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Source: https://www.ushistory.org/us/9b.asp

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