The Stamp Act as a Cause of Revolution
The First Colonial Internal Tax Causes Widespread Dissent
Of all the Parliamentary measures imposed upon the English colonies in North America, none fueled as much general anger and outright protest as the Stamp Act of 1765. Although only in force for four and a half months, the act united colonial social classes and set the precedent for future responses to Parliamentary revenue measures. Ironically, the act was designed to produce its greatest revenue from trade and shipping and not from the general populace buying playing cards or newspapers as is so often asserted in American History texts.
Purpose of the Stamp Act
At the time the Stamp Act was conceived, George Grenville was Prime Minister. Although not a “king’s man” like Lord North, Grenville faced a national debt that forced him to turn to the colonies for needed revenue. At issue was the cost of protecting the colonies. With the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, Britain maintained a standing army in the colonies to enforce the 1763 Proclamation Line and protect the frontier against Indian raids, a fact that needed no explanation after the bloody frontier raids by Chief Pontiac.
The Stamp Act would pay for colonial defenses as well as help offset debt incurred from the recent war. The act affected all of British North America, including Canada and Caribbean islands. When American representative Benjamin Franklin traveled to London to present the colonial case to Grenville, he was asked how much revenue local American colonial legislatures would contribute to their own defense. Franklin had no answer; the question had never been considered.
Debate and Scope of the Stamp Act
Although the act passed Parliament with a large margin, the debate was vigorous. One member defending the colonial position, Colonel Isaac Barre, coined the phrase “Sons of Liberty” in his speech. Parliamentary dissension with the act came from the Whigs who were increasingly wary of King George III and his efforts to reassert royal authority.
Although the Stamp Act required the purchase of tax stamps for all printed matter like newspapers, deeds, licenses, and even college diplomas, the overwhelming scope of the act was geared to trade and shipping. All bills of lading required separate stamps, affecting thousands of cargoes. Additionally, all credit transactions recorded for filing and record keeping required the stamps. Thus, as Historian Oliver Dickerson demonstrates [1], the greatest projected revenue from the act would come from the merchants and from shipping. Little wonder that some of the most vocal opposition to the act came from Caribbean planters.
Effects of the Stamp Act in the Colonies
Americans strongly differentiated between internal and external taxes. External taxes, like the Sugar Act, had always been there and, although circumvented by smuggling, been accepted. Internal taxes, however, had been the providence of local colonial legislatures; hence the phrase, “no taxation without representation.” It made little difference that people in England, notably in the cities, were also taxed without representation.
Because the Stamp Act affected every social class, its passage tended to unite the middle and upper classes. The actual required fees were relatively low for such items as newspapers and playing cards. It was, however, the fear of a precedent being set by a remote Parliament that galvanized growing colonial dissent.
In Virginia, 29-year old Patrick Henry delivered a speech that many saw as treasonous. Yet his Stamp Act Resolutions were published throughout the colonies and helped to encourage dissent. Virginia was particularly at odds with the Stamp Act, its provisions affecting not only eastern coastal shipping but the opening of new frontier lands in the west. Virginians had reasons to push for repeal.
Colonial Response and Repeal
The act was finally repealed in the light of universal dissent, harassment of stamp distributors, and the prospect of more serious protests. Parliament’s repeal, however, was tempered by the Declaratory Act, a concession agreed to by the new Prime Minister.
Sources:
- [1] Oliver M. Dickerson, The Navigation Acts and the American Revolution (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1951)
- Robert Harvey, A Few Bloody Noses (Overlook Press, 2001)
Burning of Stamps in Boston
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