The Stamp Act of 1765 and Its Impact on the American Revolution
Alyssa Sumarli
11867 Beverly Court Loma Linda, CA 92354
(909) 435- 9023
[email protected]
Redlands High School
840 E Citrus Ave, Redlands, CA 92354
(909) 307-5500
Grade 11
The Stamp Act of 1765 and Its Impact on the American Revolution
After the French and Indian War took place in the late 1700’s, there was an increase in
tension between the colonists and the British. Many colonists wanted greater economic and
political freedom whereas the British wanted greater control over the colonists. Though the
British did not want to go into war, these tensions brought forth economic hardships and
provided the beginnings of the American Revolution ten years later.
During the years 1763 through 1765, Prime Minister George Grenville began
implementing the so-called Grenville Program. He began securing acts such as the Sugar Act of
1764, the Quartering Act of 1765, and the Stamp Act in 1765. Though Britain had no intentions
of making the Americans pay off their debt, they felt it necessary for colonists to contribute and
pay one-third of the cost since the Redcoats were used for protecting Americans. Britain’s
motives, according to Grenville and his associates, included creating a stronger defense that
would better protect Britain, rebuild British authority, and to lay some of their financial burdens
on the colonies. As said in The American Revolution, “Grenville introduced in the House of
Commons a series of Declaratory Resolves, announcing the intention of the government to raise
a revenue in America by requiring various commercial and legal documents…to bear stamps,
varying in price from three pence to ten pounds” (Fiske 15). The Stamp Act required stamp
paper or the affixing of stamps to certify tax payments. Though Grenville believed it fair because
Englishmen were paid with a heavier stamp act and that colonists should pay there end, the
colonists thought otherwise.
Colonists were said to be much more lenient towards external taxation, but the Stamp Act
of 1765 happened to be an internal tax. The colonists sensed a pattern of “tyranny” in Grenville’s
plan and believed it was unnecessary and that they were being unfairly taxed. To prove their
point they began to signal a riot and resistance in the colonies. In May of 1764 in Boston, a
meeting was called upon where Samuel Adams drew a series of resolution “…which contained
the first formal and public denial of the right of Parliament to tax the colonies without their
consent…a circular letter was at the same time sent to all the other colonies, setting forth the
need for concerted and harmonious action…” (Fiske 16). In response, the assemblies of
Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South Carolina agreed with Massachusetts
in taking a stance against the proposed Stamp Act. Angered by this act, they protested against the
stamp tax with the reason that “…as free-born Englishmen, they could not rightfully be taxed by
the House of Commons unless they were represented in that body” (Fiske 16). The Americans
refused to pay the tax and displayed their disapproval by boycotting supplies and refusing to buy
British goods. It became practically impossible to sell the stamps due to the colonists’ strong
resistance. In attempts to carry out the stamp act, “…the stamp collectors and others who tried to
enforce the law were threatened with violence” (Alden 31). In one instance on the 14th of
August, a model of stamp officer Oliver was seen hanging from a tree. After the Sons of Liberty
had cut down this figure, they were confronted with the frame of a house that was supposed to be
a stamp office, demolished. Another violent act by the colonists was visible when boxes of
stamps that arrived on ships were disposed with fire or thrown into the sea. Due to these
hysterical acts, numerous stamp officers had to resign their posts.
Not long after, a proviso was added and claimed that if a letter, under the king’s name,
from the secretary of state asked for the colonists’ contributions, the colonists had to obey and
provide for the British Empire’s needs. Determined to get rid of the horrid tax, Americans sent
demands to Parliament to repeal the stamp tax. Marquis of Rockingham, the prime minister after
Grenville, thought it would be better to conciliate the colonists while William Pitt, a famous
political figure in Britain, “supported the contention of the colonists that the tax was beyond the
authority of Parliament, likewise demanded repeal” (Alden 31). An American attorney and
politician also concluded that “the taxation of the people by themselves, or by persons chosen by
themselves to represent them, …is the distinguishing characteristic of British freedom, without
which the ancient constitution cannot exist” (Fiske 19-20). With consideration of the colonists’
entitlement to all their liberties and privileges, he expands and further declares that “any attempt
to vest the power of taxation in any other body than the colonial assembly was a menace to
British no less than to American freedom” (Fiske 20). Victorious in their demands, Parliament
repealed the Stamp Act in 1766, increasing their tension between the British.
Though being repealed in 1766, the Stamp Act left a remarkable mark as it increased
tensions between the British and Colonists. Debates wanting to repeal the Stamp Act, was said to
be one of the most ambitious debates heard in the House of Commons. The Stamp Act may have
been repealed by Parliament, but the conflicts between the British and Colonists only got worse
as it played a significant role in the occurrence of the American Revolution.
Works Cited
Fiske, John. The American Revolution. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1896.
Alden, John. The American Revolution 1775-1783. Harper Brothers, 1954.
Allen, Paul. History of the American Revolution. Irvington Pub, 1982.
Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen. The American Pageant: A History of the Republic. Thomas
A. Bailey. 1956.
History.com Staff. "Stamp Act." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 01 Dec.
2016.
"American Revolution." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 01
Dec. 2016.
The MLA Manual of Style was used
Hi, my name is Alyssa Sumarli and I am currently a junior attending Redlands High School.
During these three years of being at Redlands High School, I have been involved in a community
service club known as Key Club. As of now, I serve as our club’s vice president and aspire to
earn a higher position next year. Aside from Key Club, I am also in our school’s Link Crew
where we serve as leaders of incoming freshmen and represent out school through our leadership
and love for Redlands High School. Though I have not earned many academic awards as of now,
I aspire to continue to push myself to get a high grade point average and graduate in 2018. In the
near future, I would like to be attending a decent university or college that is preferably in
California. However, I am willing to move out of California because I do not have any particular
university or college that I would like to attend.