The Stamp Act
The twelve years following the conclusion of the French and Indian War were vital in creating an
independent drive in the colonies that ultimately led to the outbreak of the American Revolution.
Why did the colonists become so jaded with their British overlords?
British officials in Parliament had decided that the American colonies needed to pay their share in
taxes. In the early 1760s, the average British citizen was taxed 25 times more than the average
colonist. When Parliament began attempting to exert influence on the colonists, many Americans
began turning to smuggling (importing or exporting without paying customs charges or duties).
In 1764, Parliament passed the Sugar Act in an attempt to curb smuggling and encourage colonists to
purchase British goods. This marked the first time colonists’ taxes were sent directly to the British
Treasury. The act also set up courts to place alleged smugglers on trial. Judges appointed by the
British government would determine a person’s guilt or innocence, rather than a jury of colonists.
This led to James Otis’ famous phrase, “Taxation without representation is tyranny.”
Then came the Stamp Act that was expected to raise 45,000 pounds annually, far short of the
325,000 needed to pay for British troops stationed in the colonies. Citizens in England already paid
the Stamp Tax, and it provided nearly half of Britain’s revenue. The new law stated that colonists
would pay taxes on anything paper; wills, playing cards, diplomas, mortgages, etc., and the paper
materials had to be produced on officially stamped paper from Britain. Violators would be tried in
an admiralty court, which again meant no jury.
Most colonists opposed the act because they sent no representatives of their own to Parliament and
felt that they had no say over the matter, or how the money was spent. They argued that Parliament
was violating the charters it had made with each of the 13 colonial governments. England also sent
an army of stamp collectors to enforce the law (with the colonists expected to cover these expenses as
well).
Angry mobs greeted the stamp distributors across the colonies and
riots broke out. In New York, colonists smashed the home of a
British officer who announced he would shove the stamps down
American throats with the point of his sword. The governor became
so frightened that he turned all of the stamps over to an angry mob
who promptly burned them.
Around the colonies, several British officials were tarred and
feathered, while others were placed in cages and spat on. Life-size
dummies of stamp distributors and British leaders were hung in
effigy (a crude figure or dummy representing a hated person or
group). No distributor was safe.
Nowhere was the rioting worse than in Boston. Colonists stormed the home of stamp distributer
Andrew Oliver, stealing furniture, smashing windows, ripping wallpaper from walls, and even
chopping down fruit trees in his yard. They stole clothes from the household and removed all of the
books from the home, building a huge bonfire out of them. He resigned the following day.
Lt. Governor Thomas Hutchinson, a royal appointee, and his family were evicted from their home,
and most of their property was destroyed, including valuable historical documents.
While citizen colonists were resorting to violent means of protest, the colonial leaders were seeking a
more organized and respectable approach to opposing the new laws.
Reading Through History
Page 1
Multiple Choice: Select the choice that completes the statement or answers the question.
1.______ British law that placed a tax on legal documents, magazines, and newspapers
in the American colonies.
a. The Coercive Acts
c. The Stamp Act
b. The Quartering Act
d. The Proclamation of 1763
2.______ To import or export without paying customs charges or duties.
a. Counterfeiting
c. Deporting
b. Surcharging
d. Smuggling
3.______ Who was responsible for the phrase, “Taxation without representation is
tyranny”?
a. Benjamin Franklin
c. Thomas Jefferson
b. Mercy Otis Warren
d. James Otis
4.______ Violators of the Stamp Act would be tried in
a. Colonial courts with a jury.
b. Colonial courts with no jury.
c. Admiralty court with a jury.
d. Admiralty court with no jury.
5.______ Which city saw the worst protests to the Stamp Act?
a. Philadelphia
c. New York City
b. Boston
d. Baltimore
TRUE/FALSE: Indicate whether the statement is true or false. If the statement is false,
write the correct word or phrase in the space provided to make the statement true.
6.______ British officials in Parliament had decided that the American colonies needed
to pay their share in taxes. ____________________
7.______ In the early 1760s, the average British citizen was taxed 5 times more than
the average colonist. ______________________
8.______ The Stamp Act was expected to raise 325,000 pounds.
_____________________
9.______ Colonists argued that Parliament was violating the charters it had made with
each of the 13 colonial governments. _______________________
10._____ In Boston, colonists stormed the home of the stamp distributor
Mercy Warren, stealing furniture, smashing windows, and burning his
private library. _______________________
Reading Through History
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Guided Reading: Fill in the blanks below to create complete sentences.
1. The years following the conclusion of the French and Indian War were vital
in creating an ____________________ in the American colonies.
2. In 1764, Parliament passed the Sugar Act in an attempt to curb
___________________.
3. The implementation of the _______________________ marked the
first time colonists’ taxes were sent directly to the British Treasury.
4. Under the Sugar Act, judges appointed by the __________________
would determine a person’s guilt or innocence in cases involving smuggling.
5. Under the Stamp Act, paper materials had to be produced on
_______________________ paper from Britain.
6. Most colonists opposed the Stamp Act because they sent no representatives
of their own to ______________________.
7. In _____________________, the governor became so frightened that
he turned all of the stamps over to an angry mob who burned them.
8. Life-size dummies of stamp distributors and British leaders were hung in
_____________________.
9. Lt. Governor Thomas Hutchinson, a ________________________,
and his family were evicted from their home, and most of their property was
destroyed.
10. While many colonists used violent means to protest the Stamp Act,
colonial leaders were seeking a more organized and_______________
approach.
Reading Through History
Page 3
Vocabulary Check: Select the option that best identifies the use of the underlined word.
1.______ In the opening paragraph, the word jaded seems to mean
a. To struggle clumsily or helplessly.
b. Impatient or dissatisfied with something.
c. Indifferent, uninterested.
d. Determination; resoluteness.
2.______ “When Parliament began attempting to exert influence on the colonists, many
Americans began turning to smuggling.” In the previous sentence, the word exert
implies
a. To put forth or into use, as power; exercise, as ability or influence.
b. A fine; penalty.
c. Something to which the right is lost, as for commission of a crime, misdeed, or neglect
of duty.
d. To take illegally by reason of one's office.
3.______ In the third paragraph, the word curb means
a. To furnish with or protect.
b. An individual or minute part.
c. To receive special attention or treatment.
d. To restrain or control; a restraint; check.
4.______ “They argued that Parliament was violating the charters it had made with each of the
13 colonial governments.” In the previous sentence, the word violating means
a. To inaugurate; initiate; start.
b. To break, infringe, or transgress a law, rule, agreement, or promise.
c. To establish in an office or position.
d. To institute a law.
5.______ In the fifth paragraph, the word enforce implies
a. To sustain or withstand without giving way.
b. To undergo or endure, especially with patience or submission.
c. To put or keep in force; compel obedience to.
d. To impress or urge.
Student Response: Please respond to the questions raised below. A thorough response should be a
paragraph of at least three to five complete sentences.
6. In the “Stamp Act” lesson, you read about the reactions of the colonists to the law implemented by
Parliament. What are your thoughts on the Stamp Act? Do you believe that the reactions of the colonists,
often violent, were warranted? Explain your answer.
Reading Through History
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The Stamp Act Multiple Choice:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
C
D
D
D
B
True/False:
6) T
7) F – 25 times
8) F – 45,000 pounds
9) T
10) F – Andrew Oliver
Guided Reading for The Stamp Act:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
Independent drive
Smuggling
Sugar Act
British government
Officially stamped
Parliament
New York
Effigy
Royal appointee
Respectable
Vocabulary Check:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
B
A
D
B
C
Student Response for The Stamp Act:
6)
Responses will vary, but each part of the question should be addressed in a satisfactory manner.
Reading Through History
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