Stamp+Act

= //Stamp Act// =

=== What? Passage of the Stamp Act was a complicated process. Because the stamp tax was an internal tax,Grenville knew that he must first raise support from the colonies. He therefore indicated that if the colonies had a better proposition for the raising of revenue, he would listen to their ideas. All 13 colonies rejected the tax because it did not fairly represent the colonies, and proposed that colonies raise taxes individually. However, Parliament did not read any of these petitions, which infuriated the colonists. On February, 1765, the Act became law. All legal documents were to be stamped- if not, law courts would not recognize the documents as official. === ======

=== Result: Resistance to the Stamp Act eventually led to repeal. The Stamp Act Congress was held, and nearly all colonial spokesmen claimed that the tax was unconstitutional. Eight colonial legislatures passed resolutions condemning the Stamp Act. Street violence led by the Sons of Liberty, starting in Boston, led to the resignation of stamp officers in 12 colonies(all but Georgia). Because there was no one to distribute stamps, the Act was effectively nullified. Because the king hated Grenville, Rockingham soon replaced him. Rockingham wanted to repeal the Act; he realized that the only alternative was a civil war. With the support of Britsh merchants and manufacturers, Rockingham repealed the Stamp Act. He also proclaimed the Declaratory Act, which affirmed Parliament's sovereign power over America. The repeal of the Stamp Act was greeted with wild celebrations, and many communites even celebrated the Act's repeal annually. ===