AMERICAN REVOLUTION VOL. 1 Stamp Act No one likes being told what to do. The British tried to control the American colonists. It did not go well. First, they tried to make the colonists pay special taxes. This was called the Stamp Act of 1765. The taxes were for printed items. Printed items would be stamped with a British logo. This would show that the tax had been paid. The tax had to be paid with British money. Colonial money was not accepted! Reparations The British made the Stamp Tax for payback. They wanted colonists to pay them back for their help. The British Army protected the colonies from the French during the French and Indian War. The colonists won because the British helped them. The Stamp Act was to make the colonists pay them back for helping. In the 1700s, people bought a lot of printed items. These were newspapers and other important papers. Even playing cards had a tax! The Stamp Act made the colonists pay tax on all printed items. The British put a special stamp on them. This showed that the tax had been paid. The tax cost a lot. It was hard for business owners and others to pay. These people bought and sold the most printed items. Rebellion The Stamp Act was the first law Britain imposed in the colonies. Imposed means created and enforced. Nobody likes being told what to do. The colonists did not like the British giving them rules. They did not like to pay the taxes! They did not agree with paying more. Printed items cost more than before. The colonists were also angry for another reason. They could not defend themselves in Parliament. Parliament was the British government. The colonists said, "No taxation without representation." The colonists could not defend themselves. They wanted a part in making laws. The colonists asked the King of England to stop the Stamp Act. They also started to boycott. A boycott means people refuse to do something to make a point. The colonists stopped buying printed items with the British stamp. They stopped paying British taxes. Some colonists even burned stamped paper items! End in Sight Parliament saw the anger of the colonists. It repealed, or took back, the Stamp Act. This was in March of 1766. The King of England was not ready to give up control. That same day, he made another law. It was called the Declaratory Act. It said Parliament had the right to make laws. It could collect taxes in the colonies. The colonists thought they had won. But, the British made more problems for them! Word Count: 432 Teaching is the Sweetest Thing 14
AMERICAN REVOLUTION VOL. 1 Stamp Act No one likes being told what to do, so when the British government began trying to control the American colonists, it did not go over well. Their first attempt at controlling the colonists through taxes was the passing of the Stamp Act in 1765. This was a law that said the colonists had to pay taxes on all printed materials. All printed materials that were purchased would be stamped with a British logo to show that the colonists had paid the tax. On top of that, colonial paper money was not accepted. The tax had to be paid with British money! Reparations The main reason the British came up with the stamp tax was because the British government wanted the American colonies to pay them back for the support and protection they provided during the French and Indian War. In the minds of the British, the colonists only won the war because they had the help of the British. Great Britain created the Stamp Act of 1765 so that the American colonists would start paying them back. In the 1700s, people bought a lot of printed goods such as newspapers, legal documents, and pamphlets. Even playing cards were included in the tax! The Stamp Act forced the colonists to pay a tax on all printed items. The British put a special stamp on printed items to show that the tax had been paid. The tax was especially costly for lawyers, business owners, and printers. They bought and sold more printed goods than anyone else. Rebellion The Stamp Act was the first law that Great Britain imposed, or created and enforced, in the colonies. Nobody likes being told what to do, and the colonists certainly did not like the British giving them rules to follow and taxes to pay! They did not agree with having to pay extra for something that had never cost so much before. The colonists were especially frustrated because they did not have a voice in Parliament, the British government. Colonists began saying, No taxation without representation. The colonists felt they shouldn t be taxed without having a say in the government. American colonists sent a petition to the King of England to stop the Stamp Act. They also began to boycott. Boycotting is when people refuse to do something in order to make a point. The colonists stopped buying all printed materials with the British stamp. They also stopped paying British tax collectors. Some colonists even burned stamped paper goods in the middle of the street! End in Sight After the British Parliament saw the frustration and anger of the colonists, it repealed, or took back, the Stamp Act in March of 1766. The King of England was not ready to give up his battle for control, though. The same day in March that the Stamp Act was repealed, another law called the Declaratory Act was passed. This law stated that Parliament had the right to make laws and collect taxes in the colonies. Just when the colonists thought they could celebrate a win, the British created more problems for them! Word Count: 514 Teaching is the Sweetest Thing 17
AMERICAN REVOLUTION VOL. 1 Stamp Act No one likes being told what to do, so when the British government began trying to control the American colonists, it did not go over well. Their first attempt at controlling the colonists through taxes was the passing of the Stamp Act in 1765, which was a law that said the colonists had to pay taxes on all printed materials. All printed materials that were purchased would be stamped with a British logo to show that the colonists had paid the tax. On top of that, colonial paper money was not accepted and the tax had to be paid with British money. Reparations The main reason the British came up with the stamp tax was because the British government wanted the American colonies to pay them back for the support and protection they provided during the French and Indian War. In the minds of the British, the colonists only won the war because they had the help of the British. Great Britain created the Stamp Act of 1765 so that the American colonists would start paying them back. In the 1700s, people bought a lot of printed goods such as newspapers, legal documents, and pamphlets. Even playing cards were included in the tax! The Stamp Act forced the colonists to pay a tax on all printed items, and the British put a special stamp on printed items to show that the tax had been paid. The tax was especially costly for lawyers, business owners, and printers because they bought and sold more printed goods than anyone else. Rebellion The Stamp Act was the first law that Great Britain imposed, or created and enforced, in the colonies. Nobody likes being told what to do, and the colonists certainly did not like the British giving them rules to follow and taxes to pay! They did not agree with having to pay extra for something that had never cost so much before. The colonists were especially frustrated because they did not have a voice in Parliament, the British government. Colonists began saying, No taxation without representation, which meant that the colonists felt they shouldn t be taxed without having a say in the government.!!! First, American colonists sent a petition to the King of England to stop the Stamp Act, and then they began to boycott. Boycotting is when people refuse to do something in order to make a point. The colonists stopped buying all printed materials with the British stamp, and they stopped paying British tax collectors. Some colonists even burned stamped paper goods in the middle of the street! End in Sight After the British Parliament saw the frustration and anger of the colonists, it repealed, or took back, the Stamp Act in March of 1766. The King of England was not ready to give up his battle for control, though. The same day in March that the Stamp Act was repealed, another law called the Declaratory Act was passed which stated that Parliament had the right to make laws and collect taxes in the colonies. Just when the colonists thought they could celebrate a win, the British created more problems for them! Word Count: 521 Teaching is the Sweetest Thing 18
Great Britain was very powerful after it won the French and Indian War in 1763. The British got all of the land in North America that belonged to the French before the war. But, winning the war was not cheap. It had cost Great Britain a lot of money. The country owed more than 122 million pounds. A pound is part of the British money system. It is like the American dollar. Parliament is the name of the British government. Parliament thought that the purpose of the French and Indian War was to help the British colonists living in North America. Because of this, it wanted the colonists to help pay for the war. The British started to think of ways that they could get more money from the colonists. There had been taxes and trade laws since the colonists moved to America. However, the British did not check to make sure the colonists followed the laws. So, many colonists did not follow them! For many years, colonists had been able to follow their own rules. They did not pay many British taxes. The British lost a lot of money because of this. However, the British had not done much to fix the problem. But, the British decided to things had to change after the war. They knew they needed to do some things differently if they were going to be able to get the colonists to help pay back the war debts. The British Parliament passed the Sugar Act in 1764. An act is like a law. It is something that people have to follow. The Sugar Act changed three big things. First, it raised taxes on imported goods from other countries. French and Dutch imports, like sugar and molasses, became very expensive. Second, the act lowered taxes on British goods. For example, the tax on British sugar and molasses dropped from six pence to three pence. The British thought there was a better chance of the colonists paying the taxes if they were lower. Third, the act cracked down on smuggling and made sure the colonists were paying their taxes. Smuggling is when goods are illegally brought in from other countries. Customs, the place where officials check imported goods, became very strict. Sugar Act of 1764 passed! from France and the Netherlands are raised! from Great Britain are low! sugar and molasses from France and the Netherlands becomes expensive sugar and molasses from Great Britain becomes cheap The British colonists in America were mad about the new act. They had been able to follow their own rules for many years. Now, Great Britain was changing rules without giving the colonists a say in the matter. The Sugar Act hurt colonial merchants by making them pay more taxes. It also took away the colonists freedom to choose which goods they wanted to purchase. Because of the Sugar Act, colonists could only afford British goods. Many colonists got together in groups to boycott British goods. Boycotting means to stop buying or using a good to support a cause. Colonists also wrote petitions to Parliament. These petitions asked the British to get rid of the taxes. British sellers started to complain to Parliament. The boycotts were losing lots of money for them. Eventually, Parliament listened to the complaints. Parliament repealed, or cancelled, the act in 1766. Word Count: 742 Teaching is the Sweetest Thing 16
FAST FACT: The Sugar Act was the first time a tax was imposed, or forced, on just the American colonies. People in Great Britain AND the colonists had had to pay for all of the other taxes the British had created. The Sugar Tax singled out the colonies. It made them pay taxes that the people living in Great Britain didn t have to pay. FAST FACT: The sugar and molasses that was brought to the colonies didn t come from Europe. It came from the colonies that France, the Netherlands, and Great Britain controlled in the West Indies. The West Indies are islands near present-day Florida. Today, most of the countries are independent. Examples of the some of these countries are The Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico (a U.S. territory). FAST FACT: The British decided to keep an army in America after the French and Indian War. They thought this would help them keep a good relationship with the Native Americans. Sadly, the British Army ended up making the American colonists angry instead. Teaching is the Sweetest Thing 17
Great Britain emerged as a powerful nation after its victory in the French and Indian War (also known as the Seven Years War) in 1763. The British took control of the land and power that the French had possessed in North America before the war. But, the victory did not come without a cost. The war had been very expensive for Great Britain. The country s national debt was more than 122 million pounds. A pound is part of the British money system, similar to an American dollar. The British Parliament (the British government) believed that the purpose of the French and Indian War was to defend the British colonists living in North America. Because of this, Parliament wanted the colonists to help pay back the damages done by the war. The question was: How could they get more money from the colonies? Taxes and trade laws had been in place since the beginning of colonial time. However, the British didn t keep a very close watch over colonial trading. For years, the colonists had been able to follow their own rules. They had been able to avoid paying many British taxes and found ways to get around the trade laws. Although this illegal activity significantly lowered British profits, not much had been done to enforce the rules before the French and Indian War. In 1764, the British decided to things had to change if they were going to be able to get the colonists to help pay back the war debts. In order to do this, the British Parliament passed the Sugar Act in 1764. An act is very similar to a law. It is something that people must follow. The Sugar Act changed three major things. First, it raised taxes on imported goods, like sugar and molasses, from other countries. French and Dutch imports became very expensive. Second, the act lowered taxes on British imports. For example, the tax on British sugar and molasses dropped from six pence to three pence. This was done because the British thought the colonists would actually pay the taxes if they were more reasonable. Third, the act cracked down on smuggling (illegally bringing in goods) and made sure the colonists were not able to avoid paying these lowered taxes. Customs, the place where officials check imported goods, became very strict. Sugar Act of 1764 passed! from France and the Netherlands are raised! from Great Britain are low! sugar and molasses from France and the Netherlands becomes expensive sugar and molasses from Great Britain becomes cheap British colonists in America were furious about the new act. They had been able to follow their own rules and avoid British laws for so long and now, all of a sudden, Great Britain changed things without giving them a say in the matter. The Sugar Act hurt colonial merchants who now had to pay more taxes. It also took away the colonists freedom to choose which imports they wanted to purchase. Because of the Sugar Act, the only imports the colonists were able to afford were British imports. Many colonists organized groups and boycotted British goods in response to the act. Boycotting means to refuse to buy or use a Word Count: 875 Teaching is the Sweetest Thing 20
good to support a cause or protest. Colonists also wrote petitions to British officials asking them to remove the taxes. British sellers also complained to Parliament because they were losing lots of money as a result of the boycotts. Eventually, the colonists got the attention of the British Parliament, and Parliament repealed, or cancelled, the act in 1766. FAST FACT: The passing of the Sugar Act resulted in a sugar and molasses monopoly for the British. A monopoly is when one company, area, or country has complete control of a market for a good or service. Those with monopolies are very powerful because they don t have to worry about competing with others to give buyers a fair price. When a company, area, or country has a monopoly, it has a great deal of power and control. FAST FACT: The Sugar Act created the first tax that was imposed, or forced, by the British Parliament on just the American colonies. All of the taxes that had previously been created applied to both Great Britain and the colonies. The Sugar Tax singled out the colonies and forced them to pay taxes that the people living in Great Britain didn t have to pay. FAST FACT: The sugar and molasses that was imported to the colonies didn t actually come from France, the Netherlands, and Great Britain. It actually came from the colonies that each of those countries controlled in the West Indies. The West Indies are islands off the coast of present-day Florida. These islands used to be controlled by European countries, but the majority of them are independent countries today. The Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico (a U.S. territory) make up the former West Indies. FAST FACT: Debt was not the only issue facing the British Empire after the war. The British decided to place an army in America to help keep a friendly relationship with the Native Americans. However, the British Army s presence in the colonies later led to more conflicts with the Americans. Word Count: 875 Teaching is the Sweetest Thing 21
Great Britain emerged as a powerful nation after its victory in the French and Indian War (also known as the Seven Years War) in 1763. The British took control of the land that the French had possessed in North America before the war began, and they assumed a great deal of power in the New World. Unfortunately for the British, the victory did not come without a cost. The war had been very expensive for Great Britain, and the country s national debt had ballooned to more than 122 million pounds as a result of the economic stress the war placed on the country. A pound is part of the British money system, similar to an American dollar. The British Parliament (the British government) believed that the purpose of the French and Indian War was to defend the British colonists who were living in North America, and because of this, Parliament wanted the colonists to help pay back the damages that were done by the war. The question was: How could the British get more money from the colonies? Taxes and trade laws had been in place since the beginning of colonial time, but the British didn t keep a very close watch over colonial trading up until this point. For years, the colonists had been able to follow their own rules, avoid paying many British taxes, and get around the trade laws. Although this illegal activity significantly lowered British profits, not much had been done to enforce the rules in the colonies before the French and Indian War. In 1764, the British decided that things had to change if they were going to be able to get the colonists to help pay back the war debts. In order to increase funds received from the colonies, the British Parliament passed the Sugar Act in 1764. An act is very similar to a law in that it is something that people must follow. The Sugar Act changed three major things. First, it raised taxes on imported goods, like sugar and molasses, from other countries, which made French and Dutch imports very expensive. Second, the act lowered taxes on British imports. For example, the tax on British sugar and molasses dropped from six pence to three pence. This was done because the British thought the colonists would actually pay the taxes if they were more reasonable. Third, the act cracked down on smuggling (illegally bringing in goods) and made sure the colonists were not able to avoid paying these lowered taxes. Customs, the place where officials check imported goods, became very strict. Sugar Act of 1764 passed! from France and the Netherlands are raised! from Great Britain are low! sugar and molasses from France and the Netherlands becomes expensive sugar and molasses from Great Britain becomes cheap Because they had been able to follow their own rules and avoid British laws for so long and now, all of a sudden, Great Britain changed things without giving them a say in the matter, British colonists in America were furious about the new act. The Sugar Act hurt colonial merchants who now had to pay more taxes, and it also took away the colonists freedom to choose which imports they wanted to purchase. Because of the Sugar Act, the only imports Word Count: 883 Teaching is the Sweetest Thing 22
the colonists were able to afford were British imports. Many colonists organized groups and boycotted British goods in response to the act, which means they refused to buy or use British goods as a way of protesting. Colonists also wrote petitions to British officials asking them to remove the taxes, and British sellers complained to Parliament because they were losing lots of money as a result of the boycotts. Eventually, the colonists got the attention of the British Parliament, and Parliament repealed, or cancelled, the act in 1766. FAST FACT: The passing of the Sugar Act resulted in a sugar and molasses monopoly for the British. A monopoly is when one company, area, or country has complete control of a market for a good or service. Those with monopolies are very powerful because they don t have to worry about competing with others to give buyers a fair price. When a company, area, or country has a monopoly, it has a great deal of power and control. FAST FACT: The Sugar Act created the first tax that was imposed, or forced, on just the American colonies by the British Parliament. All of the taxes that had previously been created applied to both Great Britain and the colonies. The Sugar Tax, on the other hand, singled out the colonies and forced them to pay taxes that the people living in Great Britain didn t have to pay. FAST FACT: The sugar and molasses that was imported into the colonies didn t actually come from France, the Netherlands, and Great Britain, but rather it came from the colonies that each of those countries controlled in the West Indies. The West Indies are islands off the coast of present-day Florida. These islands used to be controlled by European countries, but the majority of the islands are independent countries today. The Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico (a U.S. territory) make up the former West Indies. FAST FACT: Debt was not the only issue facing the British Empire after the war. The British decided to place an army in America to help keep a friendly relationship with the Native Americans, but the British Army s presence in the colonies later led to more conflicts with the Americans. Word Count: 883 Teaching is the Sweetest Thing 23