Stamp Act 1765

It is said that in your darkest hours there are inklings of rays of hope and a change for the better. So be optimistic that something good will come up when you are completely down and out. I guess this applies not just to individuals but even to nations, the greatest of them too. When things take a turn for the worse and there is no hope and everything is about to be over, there happens something, which changes the course of the future of that nation. With this as a reference, I want to elaborate on the Stamp Act, 1765 imposed by UK on American colonies. For the British American colonies, it was perhaps one of the darkest hours and the height of exploitation. But their reaction to that Act, was when the seeds of American Independence (4th July) were sown. Here is more about that Act.

What was the Stamp Act of 1765

The Stamp Act was an act through which the British Parliament imposed direct taxes on the British American Colonies. As per this act, any important document written by people in British American colonies - be it journals, legal documents, magazines and the like, all were supposed to be produced on a stamp paper, manufactured in London and it had to carry an embossed revenue stamp. The tax for the stamp had to be paid in British currency and usage of Colonial paper money was unacceptable. The reason this tax was levied was to supply for the troops in North America post the British victory in the Seven Years' War. It was felt by the British government that the colonies were going to benefit from Great Britain's presence there, so they have to bear a part of the expense. The Act was passed on March 22 and it was to be effective from November 1, the same year. It was passed by 245-49 in the House of Commons and it was unanimously passed in the House of Lords. This was a pivotal moment in American history.

Behind the Scenes of the Stamp Act

As mentioned earlier, the presence of British troops in North America was a costly affair, after the Seven Year's War (1756-1763) was won by Britain. The British Americans knew it as the French and Indian War and involved all the major European powers. The need for imposition of tax was felt because the national debt on Britain almost doubled and the post war expenses were high. Garrison troops in regions other than Britain was necessary as Britain was not very comfortable with the idea of having a standing army at home. George Greenville, who was the prime minister then, in 1763, had to find a way out to provide for the expenditure of maintaining troops. Increasing the taxes in Britain was next to impossible therefore a decision was taken by Greenville ministry that the American colonies will be taxed and that is how the revenue will be generated. That led to the Stamp Act. It was, incidentally the first internal tax (based totally on activities within the colonies). In fact, the British politicians, sitting pretty in London always anticipated that the colonists would contribute for their own defense. This tax however, led to a serious retaliation, not just from British American colonies, but other regions governed by Great Britain also.

Stamp Act Crisis

As soon as the news reached the colonies, the 13 American colonies - their representatives held a meeting in October, in New York. This was referred to as the Stamp Act Congress. In the stamp act, congress of 1765 drafted a Declaration of Right and Grievances and a petition against the act, or Colonial protest rather. The petition was sent to the king and both the houses of British Parliament, interestingly, in the same ship which had come to deliver stamped paper! This was a final straw as earlier, a Sugar Act too was imposed on the colonies. Street protests and all kinds of protests ensued. In most of the colonies there were some protest acts and the American colonies got together and stood united against Stamp Act 1765 like never before. Groups organized locally began to merge in an inter-colonial organization, a type which not seen previously in the colonies. According to some, it failed, according to some it was a success.

One thing is for sure. This act laid the foundation for the future American Revolution and independence.