The Road to Revolution
Stamp Tax Uproar
• Britain had 140 million pounds of debt after
winning the 7 Years War.
• Half of that debt was a result of defending
the colonies
• Britain looked to diminish this debt by
creating Acts that asked the colonies to pay
taxes
Early Acts
• 1763 Prime Minister George Grenville
ordered the British Navy to begin strictly
enforcing the Navigation Acts
• 1764 Sugar Act increased the tax on sugar
imported from the West Indies
– First law ever passed by Parliament to raise tax
revenue in the colonies for the British
government
– Colonies erupted in protest-Britain lowered the
tax
More Acts…
• The 1765 Quartering Act Required certain
colonies to provide food and quarters for
British troops.
• The 1765 Stamp Act mandated the use of
stamps on any official document as well as
additional items (50 items)
• It was designed to make money to support
the new military force stationed in the
colonies
Was this fair?
• Grenville felt that this was fair because he
was asking the colonies to pay for a part of
their own defense.
• British people already paid taxes that were
higher than these taxes.
• Colonists felt that these taxes jeopardized
their rights as Englishmen because offenders
were tried in admiralty courts where there
were no juries allowed
• Guilty until proven innocent
You decide…
• Do you feel that Prime Minister George
Grenville was justified in ordering the
colonists to pay these taxes? Why or why
not? Explain.
What was the need for a British army
in the colonies?
• French had been expelled from the continent
• Pontiac’s warriors had been crushed
• Colonies were suspicious of the British
“NO TAXATION WITHOUT
REPRESENTATION”
• Americans made a designation between
legislation and taxation
• Felt Parliament HAD the right to legislate about
matters affecting their empire including the
regulation of trade
• Felt that Parliament DID NOT HAVE the right to
impose taxes on Americans because there were
no American representatives in Parliament.
• Only elected colonial legislatures had the power
to tax.
British Perspective
• Grenville dismissed these protests
• Felt that the power of the Parliament was
supreme and undivided
• Every member of the Parliament represented
all British subjects including the American
colonists- called “virtual representation”
• This was laughed at by American colonists
• Both sides stood by their principles
Repeal of the Stamp Act
• Stamp Act Congress met in 1765 in NYC- 27
distinguished delegates from 9 colonies
• Debated and drew up a statement of rights
and grievances and asked the King and
Parliament to repeal the legislation (ignored)
• Colonists decided to make an agreement NOT
to import British goods (effective)
What effect did the agreement to
deny the importation of British goods
have on the American colonists?
• United American colonists in common action
• Provided opportunities for colonists to
participate in protests and boycotts
• Groups of women gathered to make
homespun clothing to replace British textiles
• Resistance spread through the colonies
Sons and Daughters of Liberty
• Colonial protests became violent
• Enforced the non-importation agreement by
tarring and feathering violators
• Ransacked houses of British officials
• Confiscated money from British officials
• Hanged dummies representing tax collectors
• Forced Stamp Agents to resign
Effects of the Non-Importation
Boycott
• Americans had bought ¼ of all British goods
• Merchants, manufacturers, and shippers
suffered (hundreds lost work)
• British citizens demanded that Parliament
repeal the Stamp Act
• Member of British Parliament were upset
because 7.5 million Brits paid heavy taxes to
protect the colonies yet 2 million colonists
refused to pay 1/5 of the cost of their own
defense
1766 Stamp Act Officially Repealed
• Repealed the Stamp Act
• Immediately passed the Declaratory Act
which stated that Parliament had the right to
bind the colonies “in all cases whatsoever”
• Absolute sovereignty over the colonies
• Americans made clear that they wanted
sovereignty of their own and that they would
go to drastic measures to secure it