What was the Stamp Act?

1. Time to get “coached up” on The Stamp Act and The Intolerable Acts!

2. What was the Stamp Act? • An act created by British Parliament in march of 1765 that required all American colonists to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. • Would not go into effect until November 1765. • Ship’s papers, legal documents, deeds, contracts, licenses, magazines, newspapers, and playing cards were taxed.

3. What caused the creation of the Stamp Act? • $ collected would pay for British soldiers to defend Proclamation Line of 1763 (Appalachian Mtns.) • $ would also go towards paying off Britain’s massive debt after French and Indian War

4. What were the effects of the Stamp Act throughout the colonies? • Stamp Act viewed as unfair because colonial legislatures had not agreed to it • Since Magna Carta in 1215, king was obligated to get approval of the people before imposing any new taxes • Colonists cried out “Taxation without Representation”

5. What were the effects of the Stamp Act throughout the colonies? • Response towards stamp tax collectors was sometimes violent! • Threats of tarring and feathering • Effigy hanging and burning • Stamps stolen and destroyed • Office and homes broken into or burned • By the time that tax went into effect, not a single tax collector in the colonies! HA!

6. What were the effects of the Stamp Act throughout the colonies? • A general boycott of British goods spread throughout the colonies • Protest groups like the Sons of Liberty were formed

7. What were the effects of the Stamp Act throughout the colonies? • Oct. 1765 – New York – Stamp Act Congress • 27 delegates from nine colonies met to draft a series of formal arguments stating why Parliament had no right to make colonists pay the stamp tax.

8. What were the effects of the Stamp Act in the Georgia Colony? • Georgia DID NOT send a representative to the Stamp Act Congress. • Georgia was THE ONLY COLONY to ever actually sell the stamps!!! • Few ever sold though

9. What were the effects of the Stamp Act in the Georgia Colony? • The tax did not bother the average Georgian very much! • A handful of colonists showed frustration however • An effigy of GA’s stamp master was burned in Savannah a few days before act went into effect. • On Nov. 6, a protest group formed called the Liberty Boys, met to discuss anger over the tax.

10. What were the effects of the Stamp Act in the Georgia Colony? • GA’s only newspaper, The GA Gazette, called off printing until Stamp Act repealed because cost was too high to print. • Stamp Act repealed (cancelled) in March 18, 1766, but…interestingly enough, Parliament passes “Declaratory Act” at same time that says Britain has the right to assert their authority over the American colonies “in all cases whatsoever.” HOLD UP! OH NO, YOU DIDN’T!

11. What were the Intolerable Acts? • A series of 5 acts – we are only going to pay attention to 4 – passed by British Parliament in 1774. • The 4 Acts: • The Boston Port Act • The Massachusetts Government Act • Administration of Justice Act • The Quartering Act (1774)

12. What were the Intolerable Acts? • The Boston Port Act – the port of Boston was officially closed until citizens of Mass. Paid for the tea destroyed in the Boston Tea Party

13. What were the Intolerable Acts? • Massachusetts Government Act - High positions in the colonial government were to be appointed by the king, and town meetings /activities in Mass. were called off.

14. What were the Intolerable Acts? • Administration of Justice - All royal officers accused of capital crimes would be tried in Britain.

15. What were the Intolerable Acts? • Quartering Act (1774) – An update to original stating that colonists must house, feed, and supply British troops. This version said that the royal governor could use town buildings to house troops and that colonists no longer HAD to feed and supply troops. NEW OLD

16. What caused the creation of the Intolerable Acts? • The Boston Tea Party in Massachusetts • Designed to punish the people of Boston and to send a clear message to other colonies that they better act right!

17. What were the effects of the Intolerable Acts throughout the colonies? • 1stContinental Congress met in Philadelphia in Sept. 1774. • Decided to stop ALL trade with Britain until Intolerable Acts are done away with. • Decided to set up “Committees of Safety” in each colony to ensure that boycott was enforced.

18. What were the effects of the Intolerable Acts in the Georgia colony? • GA was the ONLY COLONY not to send a representative to the 1st Continental Congress! • Most Georgians more concerned with other matters. • A group of Georgians do meet a month earlier in Aug. 1774 to write a resolution to Parliament demanding that the 13 colonies have the same rights as British citizens living in England.

19. What were the effects of the Intolerable Acts in the Georgia colony? • This group decided to plan another meeting for Jan. 1775. This meeting was called the Provincial Congress, and it was held in Savannah. Less that ½ of GA’s counties (parishes) sent representatives and very little was accomplished.