over them by what they regarded almost as a foreign body, the English Parliament, and what they resented most was the exercise of that power in taxing them. They were ready to tax themselves in support of the crown; they would not submit to have that tax imposed on them by Parliament. 227 14. Resistance to 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 America 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. Stamp. 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. - Virginia's Action. In the Virginia legislature a famous orator, Patrick Henry, introduced resolutions, which declared that the people, and the people only, had the right to tax the people. They had this right, not as colonists, but as Englishmen. They had their own assemblies, where they could 1 Patrick Henry did not come of one of the rich and influential families of Virginia, but both his father, who was of Scotch birth, and his mother, who was Welsh by extraction, were persons of character and ability. Patrick Henry was born May 29, 1736, and until he was twenty-four gave no evidence of special intellectual force. Then he became a lawyer, and it was not long before he became noted in his neighborhood for his oratory. He made a great reputation in the Continental Congress, and was the first governor of the State of Virginia. He was one of the party that stood out against the adoption of the constitution. He died June 6, 1799. A convenient life of Patrick Henry is that by Moses Coit Tyler. A fuller one in two volumes has been written by William Wirt Henry. vote the taxes. Many of the members objected to the resolu- "Treason! treason!" cried Henry waited a moment, then 15. The Stamp Act Congress. - The Massachusetts legislature proposed a general convention of all the colonists, which met at New York in October, 1765. Nine colonies took part in it, and sent their most distinguished men. For the first time the whole country had a common cause, and there was need that the people should consult together. Congress, as the convention was called, drew up a declaration of rights. The people of the colonies, it said, had the same rights as the people of England. It was the right of Englishmen to be taxed only by their own consent. This consent was given through representatives. Englishmen had their Parliament; the people in the different colonies had their assemblies. The assemblies had the sole power to lay taxes in America. Congress demanded the repeal of the Stamp Act; and the people every where showed their determination to support this demand. 16. The Attitude of the Colonists. They declared that until the stamp act was repealed, they would not import English goods. They held fairs to encourage home manufactures. They would not eat mutton, so that they might have more wool to spin. They would not wear mourning, because all mourning goods came from England. When the stamps were received in America it was impossible to compel the people to use them. The officers who were to supply them were sometimes made to resign, sometimes hanged or burned in effigy;1 1 In the face of a building at the corner of Washington and Essex streets in Boston is a carving which typifies the Liberty Tree which, in 1766, stood in a green at that spot. It was an ancient tree with spreading branches, and copies of the Stamp Act were publicly burned, bells were tolled, flags hung at half mast; and in some towns mobs destroyed the houses of the revenue officers.1 17. The Stamp Act in England. - The effect was felt in England, where a small party in Parliament upheld the colonists. In the House of Commons William Pitt uttered the memorable words: "The gentlemen tell us that America is obstinate, America is almost in open rebellion. Sir, I rejoice that America has resisted! Three millions of people, so dead to all the feelings of liberty as voluntarily to submit to be slaves, would have been fit instruments to make slaves of all the rest." At that time it was the custom of the different colonies to employ agents, who lived in London and looked out for the interests of the colonies which sent them. Benjamin Franklin was one of these agents, and his words had great weight with the wise Englishmen. The British ministry, before the act was passed, had asked Franklin how the people in America would regard it. He told them that the people would never submit to it. Now the ministry sent for Franklin again, and asked if he thought the people would pay for the damage done in the destruction of the stamped paper if Parliament would repeal the Stamp Act. Franklin replied with a characteristic story. A Frenchman, he said, rushed into the street once with a red-hot poker in his hand, and met an Englishman. "Will you let me run this poker a foot into you?" screamed the Frenchman. "What!" said the Englishman. "Well, six inches, then?" "Never!" "Then will you pay me for the trouble and expense of heating the poker?" The Englishman walked off. under it open-air meetings were held. From a branch of the tree hung an effigy of Andrew Oliver, the stamp officer; and a number of the Sons of Liberty, as a half-secret organization was called, took the effigy down at night and burned it in a bonfire before Oliver's house. 1 Before the Stamp Act Congress, the term Americans had been applied generally to the natives of North America. It was now that on both sides of the Atlantic it began to be used of the inhabitants of the English colonies. The Stamp Act was repealed, for the English government saw that it was impossible to enforce it. At the same time Parliament took care to say that it had the right to tax the colonies. In America people were overjoyed at the repeal of the act, and did not trouble themselves much about the claims which Parliament might set up in words. March, 1766. QUESTIONS. What were the relations of the colonies to each other and to England? What is said of the roads? the modes of travel? the mails? the newspapers? What attempts at union had been made? Why did Franklin's plan of union fail? What stood in the way of a union? What was the difference between political life in America and in England? What had been the practice regarding taxation in America? Describe the political parties in England at this time. Who was the Great Commoner ? What part had he already played in American affairs? [See Introduction, Chapter VI.] How did England look upon America? What laws were made restricting trade? What regulations in regard to manufactures were made? What acts had England formerly passed making the colonies dependent on England? [See Introduction, Section 49.] Why were English revenue officers in American ports? Why was it not considered disreputable to smuggle? How had the colonists paid a share of the expenses of the French and Indian War? How did England propose further to relieve herself? What were Writs of Assistance? Why were they obnoxious? What was done by James Otis? What is meant by the words "Taxation without representation is tyranny "" ? What was the difference between popular government in America and England? What were the stamps, and what use was made of them? What was the American ground of resistance to the Stamp Act? Tell what Patrick Henry did and said. Why did a Congress assemble in 1765, and what did it do? What did the people do, and how did they treat the officers who sold the stamps ? What did William Pitt say? What story did Franklin tell, and how did it apply to the case? What was finally done, and why? SEARCH QUESTIONS. Why are taxes needed in government? How are they laid in America to-day, and who collects them? What is the real difference between a postage stamp and a revenue stamp? How were the stamps in 1765 affixed to papers? What revenue stamps are now used in the United |