The Stamp Act: Fair Or Fair?

A Colonial family’s Reaction to the Stamp Act. “Ma? What is happening in the town with all those men? I heard something about the French and Indian war. Are we okay ma?”

Few in Britain expected the colonists to have protection and not pay for it themselves.” This quote reveals that the British Government did not appear to have any other way of paying their debts, but perhaps they could have continued to tax the homeland instead of taxing the American

To remedy this situation, Great Britain determined that the American Colonies should be taxed as an instrument in dissolving the country’s debt. The American colonists, especially in the North, took great exception with this decision. This arbitrary, and ultimately Draconian, course of action would result in punitive

At the dawn of the 1770s, American colonial resentment of the British Parliament in London had been steadily increasing for some time. Retaliating in 1766, Parliament issued the Declaratory Act which repealed most taxes except issued a reinforcement of Parliament’s supremacy. In a fascinating exchange, we see that the Parliament identifies and responds to the colonists main claim; Parliament had no right to directly tax colonists who had no representation in Parliament itself. By asserting Parliamentary supremacy while simultaneously repealing the Stamp Act and scaling back the Sugar Act, Parliament essentially established the hill it would die on, that being its legitimacy. With the stage set for colonial conflict in the 1770s, all but one

In debate Darla Davis discusses the Taxes imposed on the American Colonists by Parliament. First not everyone in parliament believe that taxation of the colonies was right thing to do. According to Darla’s Article, Will Pitt and Edmund Burke, were two members of the parliament that under stood why the colonist were opposing the tax. Colonist were opposing men felt that the opposition from the colonists concerning the taxes existed, because the colonist had been practically ignored by England since having been established.

This was a war where the fight was with the New World and France. The British King tried to imposes taxes on the thirteen colonies to help pay for the cost. Thomas Paine talked about these types of “burdensome taxations” in Common Sense as well as in his other writing titled Rights of Man. He talked about these issues because he knew the colonists were angry. Writing about the injustice would appeal to them (Hacht, 178).

The British amass a substantial debt from the war and can no longer afford to neglect the colonies. In an effort to raise money to pay off the debt the English initiate a series of new tariffs and taxes on the Colonist such as the Molasses tax, which like the ones that will follow serve the sole purpose of raising money for England. The English use a heavy hand in enforcing the new taxes and laws leading to colonial resentment to British authority. The antipathy that the new British directive generates will continue to escalate along with a desire for independence from England. Each new British tax and act levied upon the Colonist creates an increasing amount of resentment until it finally boils over leading to outright revolt and the American

Allison and I, sent back to our rooms, made doll clothing and played with cards, but our ears remained strained to catch any conversation between our families. “Look at it this way, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the French and Indian War resulted in a high debt but also a British victory. In order to pay for the debt, we have to pay a tax because we benefited from the British victory. The British paid with their lives for this, but we have paid nothing. We are also under King George III’s protection, so the British have the right to tax us,” Allison’s father stated

I asked. “Do you recall how Britain won the French and Indian war in 1763?” he paused, and I nodded an affirmative before he continued. “As a consequence of the victory, Britain racked up some pretty substantial war debts and to pay them off, they are going to raise money by taxing the colonists.” “So they are basically taxing the colonists for their financial problems.”

Between 1763 and 1775, there were three ‘Imperial Crises’ which occurred between the British and the American colonists. The conflict that was produced during this period arose through an undefined balance of political and economic power between the two parties. In 1763, Britain had just concluded the French and Indian war and was left with an immense and almost crippling debt of around 140 million pounds sterling (“Turning Point In American History”). In Britain’s eyes, the most effective way to reduce this debt was increased taxes. Unfortunately, the people of England were already massively overtaxed, which meant the last option for the British was to tax the American colonists.

The taxation by the crown caused a political problem between the American colonists and British authority. The colonist’s cry was “no taxation without representation!”, as they had been governing

“The history of present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations [unlawful seizures], all having in direct object the establishments of an absolute Tyranny over these States. ”(Document E). The British taxed just about anything they could; like tea, paper, legal documents, and stamps “Committees are appointed into the characters and conduct of every tradesman, to prevent them selling tea or buying British manufactures. ”(Document I) The British were taxing the American colonists to pay what Britain lost in the French and Indian war.

The French-Indian War of 1754-1763 resulted in political, ideological, and economic alterations within Britain and its American colonies. The French and Indian War, also referred to as The Seven Years War, began with British and French conflicts across the Ohio River Valley, as both nations wanted to claim the land for themselves. The first blood of the French-Indian War began with multiple British failures, including Washington’s dreadful defeat at Fort Necessity and General Braddock’s failed attempt at conquering Fort Duquesne, in which he died along with two-thirds of his army (Document C). The British would, however, gain momentum in 1759 with multiple victories, including their most significant triumph, Quebec.

"Mom!" I screamed, running through the house, “Mommy, quick come outside!” I couldn’t believe the news I had heard in town. The town was chaos, everyone was screaming, and the echoes could be heard all around. I heard people saying things such as, “It’s all the King’s fault!”

"I do not believe this!" cried Mr. Plant as he set his coat down. "Parliament is taxing us for basic goods. And they didn't ask for our consent! Here's some proof. " He pulled a paper and the paper read:"WHEREAS by an act made in the last session of parliament, several duties were granted, continued, and appropriated, towards defraying the expences of defending, protecting, and securing, the British colonies and plantations in America: and whereas it is