The Stamp Act Crisis

Plans for a widely expected tax on stamps for all documents in the colonies began in 1763; the Grenville ministry, however, did not include such a proposal in the Revenue Act of 1764 (popularly known as the Sugar Act), proposed and passed in March of 1764. Instead, introduction of the stamp tax resolutions in Parliament was delayed for a year, possibly to provide the colonists with an opportunity to either propose a less burdensome tax or levy a stamp tax themselves. In actuality, a stamp tax had long been imposed upon residents of the British Isles on such items as marriage licenses, stock transfers, and newspapers; unsuccessful attempts had p

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ves and that since Virginians sent no representatives to Parliament, Parliament had no right to tax Virginians. As news of the Virginia resolution spread during the summer, eight other colonial legislatures also passed resolutions denouncing the Act and denying Parliament's right to tax the colonists. In October, a Stamp Act Congress, composed of representatives from nine colonies, also passed declarations of colonial rights. The unofficial reaction in the colonies, however, was much more violent. Beginning in Massachusetts, riots broke out, targeting official representatives of the British government, as well as agents sent from London to implement the provisions of the Act. In Massachusetts, the violent reaction focused upon the person of Thomas Hutchinson, Chief Justice of Massachusetts, holder of several appointed political positions, and political enemy of many. Hutchinson's brother-in-law had been appointed stamp distributor for Massachusetts and many publicly questioned Hutchinson's views on the Act. Although Hutchinson was against the Act, he did not deny that Parliament had the right to impose taxes upon the colonies and most people believed that Hutchinson secretly supported the Act. On the night of August 26, a mob des
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Approximate Word count = 1367
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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