The American Revolution
The Stamp Act History
American Revolution What was the Stamp Act?
The Stamp Act was a tax put on the American colonies by the British in 1765. It said
they had to pay a tax on all sorts of printed materials such as newspapers, magazines
and legal documents. It was called the Stamp Act because the colonies were supposed
to buy paper from Britain that had an official stamp on it that showed they had paid the
tax. One Penny Stamp by the UK Government.
Paying for the War
The French and Indian War was fought between the British American colonies and the
French, who had allied with the American Indians. It lasted from 1754 to 1763. The
American colonies eventually won the war, but only with the help of the British army.
The British government felt that the colonies should share in the expense of the war and
help to pay for the British troops in the Americas. The Stamp Act of 1765 was a tax to
help the British pay for the French and Indian War. The British felt they were well
justified in charging this tax because the colonies were receiving the benefit of the
British troops and needed to help pay for the expense. The colonists didn't feel the
same.
No Representation
The colonists felt that the British government had no right to tax them because there
were not any representatives of the colonies in the British Parliament. The colonies had
no say in how much the taxes should be or what they should pay for. They didn't think
this was fair. They called this "taxation without representation".
The Colonies React
The colonies reacted in protest. They refused to pay the tax. The tax collectors were
threatened or made to quit their jobs. They even burned the stamped paper in the
streets. The colonies also boycotted British products and merchants.
The Stamp Act Congress
The American colonies felt so strongly against the Stamp Act that they called a meeting
of all the colonies. It was called the Stamp Act Congress. Representatives from the
colonies gathered together in New York City from October 7 to October 25 in 1765.
They prepared a unified protest of the Stamp Act to Britain.
The Sons of Liberty
It was during this time that groups of American patriots called the Sons of Liberty began
to form. They took the protests of British taxes to the streets. They used intimidation to
get tax collectors to resign from their jobs. The Sons of Liberty would play an important
role later during the American Revolution. People Burning the Stamped Paper by
Unknown
The Act is Repealed
Vocabulary: (When a government decides to get rid of an ordinance or law, that
ordinance or law is repealed.)
Eventually, the protests of the colonies to the Stamp Act began to hurt British merchants
and businesses. The Stamp Act was repealed on March 18, 1766. However, the British
Parliament wanted to send a message to the colonies. The Stamp Act may not have
been a good way to tax the colonies, but they still felt they had the right to tax the
colonies. The same day they repealed the Stamp Act, they passed the Declaratory Act
which stated that the British Parliament had the right to make laws and taxes in the
colonies.
More Taxes
The British government didn't stop trying to tax the colonies. They continued to add
taxes including a Tea Tax that would lead to the Boston Tea Party and eventually the
American Revolution.
Interesting Facts About the Stamp Act
The taxes for the Stamp Act had to be paid for with British money. They would not take
colonial paper money. John Adams, future president of the United States, wrote a series
of resolutions protesting the tax. The French and Indian War was called the Seven
Years War in England. The British Parliament really thought that the tax was fair. It was
not their intention to oppress the colonists. The Sons of Liberty was started by
Massachusetts' patriot Sam Adams.
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Reading Review Quiz: The American Revolution
1) What did the Stamp Act tax?
a. Tea and Sugar
b. Mail sent between England and the American colonies
c.
It was an income tax on the colonial lawyers.
d. Printed materials like newspapers and legal documents
e. Weapons such as muskets and rifles.
2) Why did the British government decide to tax the colonies?
a. To pay for the French and Indian War.
b. To pay for a new palace for King George.
c. To pay for a war against Spain.
d. To pay for improvements in the city of London.
e. To pay for new ships being built for the Royal Navy.
3) Why did the American colonists protest against the Stamp Act?
a. Because they thought they should not have to pay any taxes at all.
b. Because they were being taxed without having any representation in the
government.
c. Because they already paid high taxes such as income tax to the British
government.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.
4) What year did the British begin to impose the Stamp Act?
a.1760
b. 1762
c. 1765
d. 1775
e. 1776
5) How did the colonists protest against the Stamp Act?
a. They refused to pay the tax
b. They boycotted British goods
c. They burned the stamped paper in the streets
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
6) What was the meeting of delegates from the colonies to discuss the
Stamp Act called?
a. Continental Congress
b. Stamp Act Convention
c. Congress Against Taxes
d. Anti-tax Colonial Convention
e. Stamp Act Congress
7) What group took to the streets to protest against the Stamp Act?
a. Sons of Liberty
b. Green Mountain Boys
c. The Minutemen Patriots of America
d. Continental Congress
8) What was the result of the American protests against the Stamp Act?
a. The British declared war on the American colonies
b. The British parliament repealed the Stamp Act
c. The British ordered the protesters shot
d. The British continued to enforce the Stamp Act and the Americans finally gave
in and paid the tax
e. All of the above
9) What was the Declaratory Act?
a. A declaration from the American colonies to the British that they would not pay
any British taxes.
b. A declaration of war by the British
c. A statement from the British Parliament stating that they had the right to tax
the colonies
d. A new tax on tea and sugar
e. A tax on income to pay for repealing the Stamp Act
10) True or False: The British never tried to tax the American colonies
again after the Stamp Act.
a. TRUE
b. FALSE
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