How Did The Stamp Act Affect Society

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On November 1, 1765, the Stamp Act went into the effect. The Stamp Act was wildly unpopular and led to violent protests by the American colonists, which would eventually culminate in the American Revolution.
This tax was a big deal because it wasn’t just an extra tax on goods like dice or playing cards; it was an act that literally made colonists first buy the product that they wanted (with the tax on that item) and then purchase a stamp from the British Government separately to put on that item. The Stamp Act affected everyone, especially lawyers and newspaper distributers since they used a lot of paper.
The Sugar Act, in comparison, was an indirect tax established in 1764 which was the first law passed that raised taxes for the American colonists. It was mostly set on sugar, hence the name. This made the Bostonians salty, but not much else. The sugar tax eventually dropped from six cents to three cents, and later, it was repealed. …show more content…
England, nearly broke, who just fought a lengthy war, didn’t take kindly to America selling goods to both sides. The British were in debt after the war ended in 1763 and needed to raise money to repay it. Britain decided to shift the responsibility for that debt to the colonies. Parliament decided to tax all the printed material, like books and newspapers in the colonies. This lead to the Stamp Act of 1765. The colonies were beyond outraged because they had no one to represent them in British Parliament, resulting in the phrase, “No Taxation without Representation!”. In Virginia, Patrick Henry, a member of the House of Burgesses, was accused of treason when he spoke against the Stamp Act. He responded by saying, “If this be treason, make the most of

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