Stamp Act

“Stamp from the Stamp Act. The first direct issue of importance between the colonies and England came when Parliament undertook to lay a tax to be collected by officers appointed for the purpose. This was the Stamp Act, by which it was required that a stamp should be affixed to any deed, contract, bill of sale, will, and the like, made in America before it could be legal. These stamps were to be made in England and sent over to American to be sold by the government officers. It was intended that the money thus raised should be used for the support of the king’s troops in America. The Stamp Act was passed by Parliament in March, 1765, and as soon as this was known in America, the colonies, from one end of the land to the other, were full of indignation. Parliament, they said, might make laws to regulate the commerce of the empire, and so draw revenue from America; but it had no right to lay a direct tax like this. Only the colonial governments, elected by the people, could lay such a tax."—Scudder, 1897

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