Social Studies - Final test: Stamp act

Aftermath of sugar act?

Still needed to pay off debt after F&I war; British asked colonists for a plan after boycotting the sugar act; None was provided; Enacted The Stamp Act

why was this act created?

prime minister Grenville felt colonists not paying fair share of taxes like British people were;

Background: problems colonists faced before stamp act

growing control form British empire; not gaining land or freedom expected; not liking New King

What did colonists want in parliment?

taxation w/representation

What was it about?

pay money for a stamp that had to be put on all paper items

examples of things that were taxed

Newspaper/pamphlets, licenses, legal documents, playing cards

How did the Colonists react?

angry; boycotted; protested; some rebelled violently some calmly

consequences for not paying the tax

colonist go to vice - Admirality courts; instead of innocent till proven guilty colonists were automatically guilty till proven innocent

when was it passed?

1765

What was different about this act from the former acts?

Stamp act passed specifically to raise money; others intended to regulate trade

how much did parliment expect to make from this act?

100,000 poounds

results from protesting

GB repealed stamp act after few months because tension became too intense; colonists happy

how much more did Englishmen pay in taxes than the colonists?

30 times more

Sons of liberty

secret societies; used violence to frighten tax collectors; leader - Samuel Adams

when/why did the colonists ask parliament to repeal the the act?

1765 people from 9 colonies met in NY and asked to repeal stamp act because it violated their rights

effect of stamp act

repealed in 1766; issued declaratory act

Declaratory act

only parliament is allowed to make colony laws

William Pitt

Influencer in British Parliament, argued in colonists favor (listened to colonists)