Journey Towards American Liberty - Term Paper Example

1 Stamp Act: An Important Towards American Liberty Many historians of American journey to liberty from the Draconian British Rule strongly believe that the enactment of Stamp Act of 1765 was a turning point in the American quest for freedom from the oppressive and sometimes exploiting British Rule (Fradin 2009, 11-13). The Stamp Act gave liberty-seeking Americans the springboard on which to organize violent protest which ultimately led to serious Revolution about their high-handed colonist. This paper critically looks at all the factors leading to the enactment of Stamp Act, its dangerous aftermaths and its consequent repeal. Today, Americans may have forgotten this important period on their journey to freedom, but the fact remains that without Stamp Act, the American Sons of Liberty and other freedom-fighters may not have gotten an opportunity to launch attacks against their colonist. Pre-Stamp Act Events The British claimed victory in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) that was fought against the European powers of those days. It was a typical polarizing war that pitted Great Britain, Prussia and a group of German states (small in size) against nations like Austria, France, Russia, Sweden, and Saxony that formed a staunch military alliance during that period (Morgan et al. 1995, 20-28). However, Britain has spent a lot on this war which seemed to have taken a huge toll on the colonist’s finances. Reportedly, British national debts had doubled by the time the war was concluded (Morgan et al.1995, 21). Apart from this issue, Britain also worried about how to source finances to keep so many soldiers that 2 had fought in the war, many of whom have political links to the parliament. The fears of not wishing to see the soldiers become jobless and not knowing how to fund their continued engagement had forced Britain to come up with a strange method of financial The Enactment of Stamp Act of 1765 The British Parliament, in 1765 eventually came up with the Stamp Act to source funds to finance the continued existence of its military contingent in North America by imposing taxes on printed materials, which include but not limited to newspapers, legal documents, magazines, and several other papers used in the colonies (Morgan et al. 1995, 80-95). The general acceptance given to this Act by British two arms of Parliament (House of Lords and House of Commons) revealed that Great Britain had seen this Act as the solution to its crippling financial situation at that time (Murrin et al. 2007, 187). The Parliament did not perceive anything wrong in this approach as it deemed it the appropriate way to find the money to solve its financial responsibility towards keeping its army on North American soil. The Parliament did not actually consult the colonies and request for their opinions before imposing such heavy taxes on them. The reasoning then could have been that Great Britain possessed the ultimate power, and hence did not need to seek approval from its colonies (Norton et al. 2008, 117). This enactment of this Act could be seen as one-sided method of exploitation that had later caused much uproar in the colonies than any other law the Colonist had made. The American colonies perceived this Act as another oppressive action of Great Britain, which should be summarily opposed like every other (Morgan 1959, 70). 3 Fierce Oppositions to Stamp Act of 1765 The American colonies had seen the Stamp Act as a way of exploitation and a breach of their Constitutional Rights. This realization had produced huge protests and demonstrations that had destabilized peace and order in entire colonies (Morgan et al. 1995, 20-28). Also, some political opposition were quickly organized: There was Virginia Resolves passed at Virginia House of Burgesses, which recognized that the new tax regime required in Stamp Act of 1765 would bring too much inconvenience to the people of Virginia; The Massachusetts Lower House proposed a meeting to request His Majesty, King George to re-consider the Act and grant relief to his subjects (Norton et al. 2008, 115-7); and the Stamp Act Congress in New York, which witnessed some delegates from the colonies as they came together to find a lasting political solution to the problems the new tax system would pose. Notably, the Stamp Act Congress sent a strong message to Great Britain that the colonies were ready to employ all tactics in their hands to frustrate the implementation of the Act if Britain would not act wisely by repealing it. The deliberations from the Stamp Act Congress were sent to the both Houses of British Parliament. However, it turned out that the most effective way of opposing the new tax structure was through violent protests that occurred throughout the colonies. People took to the street en masse to challenge this exploitative tax system. Their actions might have infuriated their social and political superiors who strongly believed in using the normal or political processes to seek recourse while dealing with Britain. But it was the intensity of these street demonstrations and their 4 resulting lawlessness in the colonies that had forced the Great Britain to fully understand the level of opposition against the Stamp Act of 1765. Violent protests were recorded in Boston, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and other colonies. Predictably, this incident had emboldened some silent groups of anti-colonialism to give their movement a chance to be reckoned with. Hence, the Sons of Liberty did get the opportunity to demonstrate their hatred and willingness to challenge everything colonial in America. While the resistance activities of Sons of Liberty mattered in those days was that most of the members of the Group were high and middle-ranked citizens who had political, economical and social connections across the colonies (Morgan et al. 1995, 20-28). Although the members of Sons of Liberty later cut across all citizens of different statuses, but its impact on forcing the British Parliament to repeal the controversial Stamp Act was memorable. Looking critically at all the revelations in the foregoing, it is important to notice that the American colonies had opposed the new tax system based on its harsh implication on their financial lives, not necessarily a political challenge to dominance of Great Britain as the Colonial Ruler. At this time in American history, every citizen was becoming enlightened about their rights and the need for any political power to respect and honor such rights. This matter became quite worse as Great Britain’s political leaders thought they had the power to make any law, and that the colonies had no reasons to reject the law. Though this issue would not have caused serious political commotion in Great Britain, but Grenville—the Prime Minister at that was replaced by a new one, Lord 5 Rockingham in the middle of 1765. This change of leadership had energized the resistance base in American colonies as they saw a unique chance to press the new Prime Minister to reason along with the colonies and proffer the much-needed relief for the colonies in accordance with the Declarations of Rights and Grievances granted to the colonies by His Majesty King George. Further political pressures in this regards had then produced a wonderful result that eventually led to the repeal of this controversial Act in American history towards freedom and self-rule (Fradin 2009, 11-13). The Repeal of Stamp Act of 1765 Several political and social procedures were employed mainly by American colonies and some British establishments to pressurize the decision-makers in Great Britain to repeal the controversial Stamp Act. As a matter of fact, the disorderliness the violent protests and demonstrations had produced across the American colonies was palpable, and the British Government was working hard to dissuade the people in those colonies from perpetuating the actions of lawlessness. But what better way to appeal to the American people by repealing a law that had caused the impasse in the first instance. Therefore, countless political and social pressures continued to emanate from the colonies as local Houses of parliament lay claim to the importance of the Natural and Common Rights of Mankind, which allows every living being to exercise their right of opposition when they found themselves in an oppressive situation as the case was with the enactment of Stamp Act of 1765 (Morgan et al. 1995, 140-156). Calling upon the leaders in Great Britain to 6 respect these declarations had sent a strong message to the Colonial Power that it was breaking its own previous legal proclamations. Technically, the Act would have been repealed if not for the stiff opposition to such a process by the former Prime Minister Grenville, who insisted that American colonies had no alternatives but to recognize the goodness of Great Britain towards them through the provision of military protection; Grenville believed that Americans should willingly pay the tax that are meant to offset the cost of keeping British soldiers stationed in their country to protect them. But what Grenville did not recognize was that America was already bogged down with many taxes imposed by Great Britain (Griffith 2008, 102-9). The addition of a new tax structure was seen as arrant exploitation on the part of Great Britain, which was generally kicked against by the populace. As a result of this, the new Prime Minister, Lord Rockingham, felt that the colonies should be listened to, and he did not oppose the plan of the Parliament to jettison Grenville’s opposition to the repeal of the Act. It is also interesting to state categorically that some British merchants who were affected by the protests that were going on in American colonies then. These concerned merchants had engaged the Parliament in correspondences, stating specifically the reasons why the Stamp Act be repealed. This step taken by the British merchants may have become indispensable considering the enormity of the losses they may have experienced as many American buyers began to attack British business and their products, not only printed paper materials. The British Parliament, owing to these pressures, had had no option but to listened to their merchants as well as found a 7 way to quell the breakdown of law and order in the American colonies. Hence, in the early 1766, a resolution about repealing the Stamp Act was on the floor of the British; the good news about this was that it passed the Parliament with a majority of the Parliament voting for its passage. Undoubtedly, the huge support garnered by the repeal of this Act demonstrated that many members of the British Parliament were uncomfortable with the introduction of the Act as they perceived that it would hurt relationships and destroy even British enterprises. The repeal was granted by the King after it passed the Parliament. The entire issue of tax structures between Great Britain and its American colonies has always been a contentious one; however, many Americans perceived the introduction of the Stamp Act as a way too much for the people reeling economic problems and making living barely through hard work and perseverance. The repeal of this controversial Act has helped to bring a new charter of relationship between the Colonial Power and its subjects. As explained below, this new chapter also helped the peace-loving Americans to explore the possibilities of obtaining their freedom. Route to Absolute Liberty for the Americans Many historians believe that talking about American liberty without making my adequate reference to the Stamp Act of 1765 is incomplete in itself. One of the interesting repercussions of repealing the Act, for the Britons, was that it gave the freedom-seeking Americans the confidence to work together towards broader liberation from British colonial rule and its impacts on ordinary American lives. Groups like the Sons of Liberty capitalized 8 on this victory and urged their fellow Americans to press further for unconditional freedom from the British Rule. This success had emboldened the Americans to resist similar ordinances or Acts they deemed exploitative: like the Townsend Act of 1767; and they had used their new-found bargaining power to kick against further importation from Great Britain. These events had become the springboards on which many American freedom-fighters collaborated some years later to organize the most effective Revolution to free their country from the British Draconian Rule. The Stamp Act, then, could be seen as a force that led many Americans into believing that they could fight for and achieve their independence from the British Rule. The whole saga of the introduction and the eventual repeal of the Stamp Act of 1765 have some relevance in our present age. Conclusion The accounts of the introduction of Stamp Act of 1765 in American colonies reveal that British Government was acting on selfish ambition to force Americans to pay for the soldiers whose service they had not requested for or needed. Introducing this Act without due consultation with the Houses of the Colonies seemed to underrate the probable repercussions of imposing any tax structures on the colonies. It was as if the British expected the Americans to willingly accept the new tax and raise no objection or organize any protest to ask for its repeal. It was also clear from all indications that Prime Minister Grenville’s self-gratification complicated the entire process, and nothing would have been done if he had not been replaced by the new Prime Minister. 9 The history of America’s freedom is closely connected with their bad or unruly behavior flouting the British establishments and pressing for their self-rule (Holton 2007, 200-1). This so-called unruly behavior had paved way for the Americans to unite and outline the Constitution with which to rule their people. One may find it interesting that if Americans had not opposed the British Power in those days, it would have been difficult for them to have gained their independence. The Stamp Act of 1765 is an interesting theme in generational tax studies as well as in the incubation of revolution, which saw the Americans getting their lands and conscience back from the Britons. The Stamp Act issue acted as a pointer into the intrigues of colonialism which had spread through the whole world at that time, destroying the local establishments of the colonies and imposing harsh economic burdens on the subjects through huge taxes and politicized laws that were mostly opposed by freedom-seeking all over the world then. 10 References Fradin, Dennis. 2009. The Stamp Act of 1765. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish. Griffith, William. 2008. Historical notes of the American colonies and revolution: from 1754 to 1775. Massachusetts: Harvard University. Holton, Woody. 2007. Unruly Americans and the origins of the Constitution. London: Hill and Wang. Morgan, Edmund S., Morgan M. Helen, and Institute of Early American History and Culture. 1995. The Stamp Act crisis: a prologue to revolution. North Carolina: UNC Press Books. Morgan, Edmund. 1959. Prologue to revolution: sources and documents on the Stamp Act crisis, 1764-1766. North Carolina: UNC Press Books. Murrin, John M., Johnson E. Paul, McPherson M. James, and Gary Gerstle. 2007. Liberty, equity, power: a history of the American People. Kentucky: Cengage Learning. Norton, Mary B., Sheriff Carol, Katzman M. David, Blight W. David, Howard Chudacoff. 2008. A people and a nation: a history of the United States to 1877. Kentucky: Cengage Learning. Read More