British Stamp History

“For every skin or piece of vellum or parchment, or sheet or piece of paper, on which shall be engrossed, written, or printed, any declaration, plea, replication, rejoinder, demurrer or other pleading, or any copy thereof; in any court of law within the British colonies and plantations in America, a stamp duty of three pence.” (British, parliament). The Stamp Act was created and enforced upon the colonies by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. After fighting in the North America's alongside the Colonists and in various other locations globally, the British racked up a healthy sum of debt, around 177 million pounds (“Tax history Project”). In an effort to pay off such debt, the British parliament issued various acts upon the colonists
These distributors would collect a tax in exchange for the stamps (history.com staff) which went towards the coverage of £60,000 of the £200,000 that was required to station troops throughout the colonies (Tax History project). Unlike previous acts which were fixated on trade, the stamp act was first to directly apply a tax to goods within the colonies (Tax History project) which affected all members of the colony regardless of class or employment. With such a widely spread tax over all classes, unity and consensus of opinion towards the act was found amongst the colonists. Many forms of protest were shown against the Stamp Act, some political and other taking the form of a riot. In one particular instance, the House of Burgesses in Virginia challenged the power of Parliament by creating a series of resolutions that denied the right of taxing the colonists ( History.com staff). This led to the forming of the stamp act congress which comprised of delegates from nine colonies who wrote petitions to the king to address the fairness and rights of taxing (History.com Staff). In another instance, the more common of people participated in mobs. One of the more famous occurrences was a group called the Sons of Liberty who ransacked the house of stamp
Before issuing the Act, the Sugar act was in motion that applied a tax to the importation of sugars and other products. By implementing this law, an inflammation ensued eventually leading to its revocation( “Sugar Act”) and the passing of the Stamp Act. The Stamp act was meet with just as much if not more protest as it required that nearly all paper goods required to have a taxed stamped on it. By political and physical protest (History.com staff), the act was soon revoked and once again replaced by the Declarartory Acts. These acts gave the right to britain to pass any law they pleased. Throughout these various acts, the colonies had to bind together in order to show the british that they would not be used as a financial bailout. through unity and disdain, the colonists gained enough confidence and footing in order to fight for their independance from Britain. Through the use of unity and the violation the colonists felt, they could successfully challenge a country where they are