The Stamp Act
The “Stamp Act” was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. The new law required a tax, represented by a stamp on every piece of printed paper in the American colonies including playing cards, legal documents, licenses, newspapers and other publications. If that wasn’t enough to irritate Americans, the bill required payment in the hard-to-come-by British sterling rather than the more common colonial currency. Those who refused to pay the tax could be tried in any British court without a jury.
Different from previous taxes which were used to regulate commerce, the Stamp Act was imposed to raise money from the colonists without their consent. Though the actual amount to be collected was relatively small, Americans didn’t like the fact that they could be taxed without consultation of their own legislatures. Additionally, many were concerned that it would lay the foundation for far more troublesome taxation in the future.
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Despite these views colonists did not feel they could do more than complain about the tax until they heard of the Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions proposed by a statesman named Patrick Henry. Though Henry originally suggested seven resolutions, only four were adopted by the Virginia assembly on May 30, 1765. By passing the resolutions the Americans boldly affirmed that they possessed the same rights as the English and would pay no taxes except those approved by the Virginia House of Burgesses.
Patrick Henry proposed seven Stamp Act Resolutions which argued for colonial rights to taxation representation.
Furious at the passage of the four resolves, Virginia’s governor vetoed them and dissolved the colony’s House of Burgesses. This action further agitated the colonists who increasingly felt betrayed and abused by their king. Many chose to boycott British goods, others staged protests and riots while some even attacked tax collectors. While their methods of dealing with their frustration varied their message to the king was united and unmistakably clear—“No taxation without representation!”
The Stamp Act Congress
October 7 - 25, 1765
By October, nine of the thirteen colonies had had enough of Britain's intrusions and called for an official congress to plan a unified response. Thirty delegates met in New York and drafted a Declaration of Rights and Grievances which affirmed their “allegiance to the Crown of Great-Britain” while spelling out their frustrations with the Stamp Act that Parliament had just imposed.
Among other things, the resolution stated that (1) the colonists deserved the same rights of all other “Englishmen,” (2) no taxes should be imposed upon them without their consent, (3) they could not be represented by the House of Commons, but should be entitled to local representation instead, (4) “trial by jury is the inherent and invaluable right of every British subject in these colonies and (5) the Stamp Act was subverting “the rights and liberties of the colonists.”
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Read the full resolution HERE.
The Stamp Act Congress Participants
Chairman: Timothy Ruggles, Massachusetts
Secretary: John Cotton, Massachusetts
CONNECTICUT
Eliphalet Dyler
William Johnson
David Rowland
DELAWARE
Thomas McKean
Ceaesar Rodney
MARYLAND
William Murdock
Edward Tighman
Thomas Ringgold
MASSACHUSETTS
Samuel Adams
James Otis
Oliver Partridge
Timothy Ruggles
NEW JERSEY
Hendrick Fisher
Joseph Gordon
Robert Ogden
NEW YORK
William Bayard
John Cruger
PENNSYLVANIA
George Bryan
John Dickinson
John Morton
RHODE ISLAND
Metcalf Bowler
Henry Ward
SOUTH CAROLINA
Christopher Gadsden
Thomas Lynch
John Rutledge
Founders Trivia
Patrick Henry was an early and constant voice for freedom during the American Revolution.
With the passage of the Stamp Act, Henry, who had already been a vocal critic of King George III, turned up his rhetoric. From the floor of the Virginia assembly he delivered what would become known as his “Caesar-Brutus” speech. Boldly he warned if the British monarch continued to disregard American liberty, he risked a fate similar to Julius Caesar’s (who had been assassinated by Brutus).
Many agreed with Henry, others did not and shouts of “Treason!” could be heard from both the assembly and the gallows. In response Henry shot back “If this be treason, make the most of it!”