Stamp Act Essay

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Benjamin Houston History 103 Tom Christen February 21, 2013 Chapter Five Essay--Explain the Stamp Act of 1765, its effects on the colonies, and their response The Stamp Act of 1765 was and act on the colonies to tax any businesses or important documents. This act was to gain money from British parliament and for the government. Even though many people were a part of the function of the act, they to did not want to be taxed on everything official that they do. The act was started by a man named Grenville to gain revenue from the colonies provisions. The people of the colonies obviously did not like this and began to come up with ways to stop the act. The Stamp act was an act that taxed most of all legal documents printed out. These included legal documents, newspapers and magazines and other paper throughout the colonies. The purpose of the Stamp tax was to support the British troops, and Britain thought that since the primary use of the British armies was in America that they should help pay a wage too. The colonies did not participate, they sent no representatives to support it and this gave them no say in how the taxes were spent. By this time people were sent to form protests and riots to go against the Stamp Act. After awhile of colonists protesting saying that it’s a violation of their rights being taxed with no consent they soon grew bigger and bigger eventually scaring the stamp tax supporters to retire their position and then not pull through with the collection. The people of the colonies outraged and began to start parades, bonfires and meetings under “Liberty Tree’s” calling themselves Sons of Liberty. They kept saying “No Taxation, without Representation” meaning that England cannot tax them through Parliament when the colonies in America were their own government. In August of 1765 a few months before the Stamp Act was to take place a mob marched
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