Essay On The Stamp Act

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“Awake! Save your liberty!” exclaimed B.W. (Copeland 196). While some people were horrified with the Stamp Act, others were completely accepting of this new act. Janis Herbert stated that after the French and Indian War, England had many debts, which obviously needed to be paid (3). England’s Parliament decided the American colonists needed to pay their debts for them. England went about this matter by raising taxes and requiring a stamp for 50 different documents (Gale Encyclopedia ¶ 2). Since America was not yet a country, and had no representation, they were stuck with whatever law Parliament passed. Why weren’t the thirteen colonies willing to abide by England’s laws? Even though England was trying to pay off their debts from the French & Indian War, they went about it the wrong way, because they expected the American colonists to pay by increased tax dollars. This is an example of taxation without representation, because the American colonists didn't have representatives, or the opportunity to vote. To pay off their debt, England scheduled the initiation of the Stamp Act, which placed a tax on 50 different documents, on November 1, 1765 (Gale ¶ 2; Brindell 13). This act was to put a tax “upon every paper commonly called a pamphlet and upon every newspaper” (Copeland 193). Because the Stamp Act was an internal tax, which meant this tax law was only enforced in America, this made the colonists even angrier (Burgan 23). The passage of the Stamp Act in 1765 and the colonial reaction to that act marked the turning point in Parliament's approach to taxation and in the colonists' relationship to their mother country. Prior to the Stamp Act the colonial assemblies levied taxes for the support of the colonial governmen... ... middle of paper ... ...ndies (General Reference Gold ¶ 1). A letter was written by the colonists, to England, which showed the colonists were not united against the Acts (Copeland 195). America wanted their freedom from England, so they or their representatives could impose their own taxes and laws (Burgan 31). Even though the colonists were not united in the decision against England’s Acts, they unanimously boycotted all imports from England. An example of taxation without representation is how England went about paying off their debt. America didn’t have the option to vote or representatives to state their points of view. My points were about the different acts, the stamp act in action, taxation without representation, and boycotting English imports. If we don't take action against taxation without representation, our country will take our freedom, just like in the 1700’s.

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