Stamp Act of 1765 Essay

The British government thought that since the colonies also benefited from the war, they need to help them pay the debt. That was the reason behind the Stamp Act, for the colonies to help them pay the debt. On the Act, the colonists were required to pay taxes of several varieties of goods including legal documents, newspapers, playing cards and diplomas thus they would buy the stamp and then pay for it. Colonial merchants were required to use a special paper that contain Kings stamp in this way the England would prove that the tax has actually been paid by the colonies (Thomas,1975). The colonist insisted that the act was unconstitutional since to them they thought that their own representative assemblies are the only once are allowed to tax them.

However, the colonist viewed it as if their rights to be Englishmen were being taken away from them by taxing them without their representation in the legislature. The British government, however, was left with no choice but to implement the act on the colonist. The war fought by Britain for seven years though has ended the rivalry between them and France , the victory of the war, however, left Britain with a huge debt they could not settle on their own. They thought that the war benefited both American colonists and the British Empire. Therefore, the government decided to include the colonist in paying off the debts. The colonist thought that the Stamp Act was a way of depriving them of their freedom and enslaving them they, therefore, rejected it.

They even wonder the reason why the British troops were still on North America when they French who was their enemies had already removed their threat. They, therefore, thought that it was only wise if they resisted the inhumane act that was being imposed on them by the British government (Morgan, & Morgan, 1953). The parliament did not put into consideration the interest of the colonies, and instead, they went on to push with the stamp act despite the colonies objection. Although the colonies were too slow to resist to the Stamp Act, they drew momentum when then implementation of the act was drawing nearer. They therefore supported the Acts that was to regulate trade and were against the Stamp Act that would take money from the colonist directly.

Additionally, the Act was to enforce a direct tax on domestically produced and consumed goods. Forth they view the Stamp Act as a way of squeezing money from the colonies instead of regulating trade as the other Act has done before. Lastly, the Congress believed that imposing a high tax on lawyers and students was a way of limiting the growth of professionals in America and they saw it as a way to reduce the opportunities of Americans getting their independence. The colonial assemblies and the Congress passed the resolution to and issued a petition against the stamp act, the colonists, on the other hand, did not want to wait and instead they took the matter in their hands. Besides, many businesses decided not to sell goods that were imported from England when the Stamp Act still exists.

After several months of protesting by the resistance, the government of British saw it as a waste to force the tax on the colonists since the stamp collectors were going through hell and their lives were even at risk. These left many of them to resign in the post. The commissioners for stamp collectors remained few, and the few that were still willing to collect the stamp live their life under threat. Parliament was therefore convinced to repeal the Act, and on March 1766, they therefore voted to repeal it. University of Missouri Press. Gazette, B. October 7, 1765.  David A. Copeland, Debating the Issues in Colonial Newspapers: Primary Documents on Events of the Period, Westport, CT: Greenwood. Oxford; New York: Clarendon Press. Tilly, C.