The Stamp Act

After the French and Indian War, the British colonies were in debt, forcing the American colonists to contribute to the damages made. In order to collect revenue from the colonists the British implemented a series of imperial policies, one in particular being the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act of 1765 was the main turning point that led to the American Revolutionary War. Because of the debt that followed the French and Indian War, the British required the American colonists to pay a tax on all printed materials, and purchase a stamp to place on the item as proof of paying the tax. As a result, the colonists were outraged and created the Sons and Daughters of Liberty, boycotted British goods, and formed the Stamp Act Congress.

Prior to the Stamp Act, the British were in debt and looked for a means to pay off the French and Indian War. They felt that the American colonists should assist in paying for the damages and repairs, thus creating the Stamp Act. After the act was implemented, the colonists were outraged and retaliated tremendously against the British Parliament. In an attempt to be heard and represent themselves, the colonists began to boycott British goods and inflict violence upon those who were in favor of the act.

After the implementation of the Stamp Act in 1765, the British and colonial economies began to change. Because of Britain’s tremendous debt at the duration of the war, the colonists were forced to pay the required amount of the newly raised revenue. The Americans, however, had little to no money to give to the British, resulting in a large wave of debt not only throughout the British colonies but the colonial regions as well.

With the introduction of the Stamp Act, the colonists worked together in attempt to overthrow the British Parliament. It was not until the duration of the Revolutionary War that the colonists were finally able to do so. In later years following the Stamp Act, after the colonists’ liberation from the British, the Articles of Confederation were put in place in 1777 to establish a new order throughout the colonies. Though it was an intelligent initial idea, the Articles created an abundance of frustrations throughout colonial America, for it carried with it many weaknesses. Following the Articles came the United States Constitution which successfully gave Congress more power as well as initiating a higher power, the president. The Constitution laxed tension amongst the states and allowed for