The first of many taxes, as part of Britain’s new imperial program, to be imposed on the colonies was the Sugar Act of 1764. This act lowered the duty on molasses, but raised the taxation of sugar. Next, came the Currency Act of 1764. This act forced the colonies to stop using paper money, and to cease using all the paper money already in circulation. Finally, the most important act that I believe was the final string in causing the dissatisfaction in the colonies that eventually lead to the American Revolution was the Stamp Act or 1765. This act imposed taxes on newspapers, wills, licenses, and deeds; basically most printed documents. The three acts established by the British Parliament, were only established as a means to try and compensate for the enormous debt Britain had. Now, most colonists agreed that they should support Britain in some form and aid in repaying the debt, but where the problem was, was that the colonies felt they had no say in how they were being taxed. At the time Britain had a concept of virtual representation to compensate for the colonies physical representation in Parliament. This concept however was flawed, as those chosen to represent the interests of the colonies were so far out of touch, both physically and economically, they often misrepresented the colonies. This lead to the common phrase we often hear today, “Taxation Without Representation,” a phrase that can found on license plates today of Washington D.C. The American colonies felt that they should be taxed by American legislature and not the British.
All of the acts were met with some form of resistance, and most of them were overturned. The Stamp Act caused the colonies to boycott many English goods. “The Sons of Liberty intimidated those colonists who were reluctant to participate in it. The also, terrorized stamp agents, and set ablaze the stamps, causing most agents to cease selling them.” (Brinkley, 2007) With the boycotting of British goods, the British merchants, who were greatly affected, begged for the Stamp Act to be repealed, and were appeased when the Act was done away with March 18, 1766.
Write an essay examining the major areas of disagreement between the American colonists and the British policymakers that developed during the period 1763 to 1776.
In conclusion, the New World was finally taking shape and becoming the great place it is today. There is much resemblance in the early colonies and the United States, whether it is in the religious freedoms we have today or the great economic growth we also relish in. The early colonies faced many problems, but eventually overcame them and turned out to become prosperous. The early settlers created the great nation we have today.
Bibliography
Brinkley, A. (2007). American History: A Survey. New York: McGraw-Hill.
