The Millstone Times - December 2022

The Stamp Act Crisis of 1765 By, Surabhi Ashok

With midterm elections having just passed, we see how integral the voting processes in the United States are. Peo ple vote for representatives that align with the policies and ideologies they most want to see implemented and protect ed in the government. This desire for representation actu ally dates all the way back to colonial times, a time when many Americans wanted a say in administrative actions but didn’t receive it. During the late 1700s, the British monarchy ruled all 13 colonies in America under the Parliament. After the Seven Years’ War and the resulting financial crisis, the Empire’s governing body took on a more direct role in the colonists’ lives imposing loftier taxes and more restricting policies. One such tax was the Stamp Act of 1765. The Stamp Act of 1765 required colonists in America to only use the paper and printed materials like newspapers and documents provided by Great Britain. This of course made many colonists angry as they were being taxed “with out representation.” There was no one from America elect ed into Parliament, and therefore they had no voice in re gards to what was passed and what affected them. In response to the Stamp Act, a series of resolutions were adopted by the House of Burgesses that detailed that the American colonists were entitled to the same rights as Brit ish citizens. The passage also suggested that local govern ments of each state should be given the ability to make their own laws as it would ensure the prosperity of the colonies as well as Britain itself. While these resolutions were in no way severing ties with Britain, Parliament reacted poorly to them, essentially de claring that the American colonies were bound to the Brit ish Empire’s rule and could not question it regardless. This statement only brought the individual colonies closer to gether as frustrations against the monarchy grew. Eventual ly, these frustrations would boil over into an official declara tion of independence, paving the way for future revolution with the help of partnerships with countries like France. Source: https://studycorgi.com/the-stamp-act-resolutions and-the-declaratory-act/

An angry mob protest against the Stamp Act by carrying a banner reading 'The Folly of England, the Ruin of America' through the streets of New York.

MPI/Getty Images

6 The Millstone Times

November 2022