Reflection Essay on The Stamp Act

“No taxation without representation! ” (Americas Past and Promise) That was the colonist’s famous saying. The colonists were being taxed with no say in parliament. They were getting taxed with the Stamp Act, the Tea Act, and the Sugar Act, but those were only a few. Eventually the Stamp Act was successfully repealed, yet the Stamp Act was the catalyst for the American Revolution. The stamp Act was the first attempt for Brittan to directly tax the colonists. (Mason Lorna) Brittan thought that since they owned the colonists they could tax them, and the colonists would and have no say.

Brittan put a tax on all diplomas, wills, playing cards, and other everyday advertisements. (Mason Lorna) “Brittan stated that all documented papers had to contain a stamp that said the items were taxed. ” said Bilven junior. Stamps were very expensive then and not many people could afford them. The October delegates met and stated that the colonist will not be able to have any say in parliament. This mad the colonists enraged. This was the cause of the first true rifts between the patriots and the loyalists. The colonists held an orderly Stamp Act congress to protest the law.

The colonists rioted in seaport towns. (Bilven junior) Most assemblies believed that they had the right to decide on their own laws. Men who sold stamps were threatened or their houses were set on fire. The houses of the people who approved this act were also set on fire by the colonists. The colonists started to boycott the English goods that had to be stamped, and this started to make the imports go down. Colonists drew up petitions stating that the right to tax belonged to assembly colonies. The colonists were very unhappy with this tax and started to do just about anything to get rid of it.

Benjamin Franklin was one of the very important people who stood up to Brittan and got the Stamp Act repealed. Benjamin Franklin argued and warned the English that the continuation of this tax could lead to rebellion. In 1766 well law abiding business men repealed the Stamp Act. Though the Stamp Act was only one out of the many taxes that Brittan placed on the colonists, the stamp act was the most important. The Stamp Act was a big help in starting the Revolutionary war. The Stamp Act was also one out of the many to get repealed so quickly. The Stamp Act was not only a loss to the colonists, but a great benefit also.