Essay On The Stamp Act

The Stamp Act of 1765 was a tax passed by Parliament on March 22, 1765 hence leading all documents and printed materials sold in the American Colonies to be levied. The Stamp Act was called such due to the obligatory stamp or seal put on the paper by officials as proof you paid the tax. This tax came to be due to the massive debt Britain obtained from the Seven Years War with the French, therefore leading Britain to tax the colonists considering the colonists were the ones benefiting the most after conflict with French and American colonists over property claims ceased. The idea was first proposed by Britain 's first lord of the treasury and prime minister, George Grenville, and was passed without debate. This angered the colonists who claimed

This tax, unlike the Sugar Act, affected all colonists rather than just a certain groups, such as merchants. This tax affected all printed materials, such as wills, deeds, newspapers, diplomas, and, surprisingly, playing cards and dice. Meanwhile, people in the colonies quickly took to protested the “tyrannical” tax. Delegates from nine colonies organized the Stamp Act Congress-- an assembly of people that protested the Stamp Act by sending petitions to the English Crown in order to repeal the Stamp Act. Their main argument was that the colonies should be in charge of taxing themselves. While the Stamp Act Congress peacefully tried to negotiate the repeal of the Stamp Act, the colonists took matters into their own hands. Many colonists joined by boycotting British goods, however, some took a much more violent approach. Colonists formed secret societies protesting British rule, most famously the Sons Of Liberty who called for American independence. These groups attacked in mobs by violently parading through the streets, burning British paper, ransacking some British custom official’s homes, and even tarring and feathering some of the custom officials. This caused many custom officials to resign from their position for fear of their