Stamp Act Congress example essay topic
The colonies were being taxed more and more, and with that pressure they resisted even more. Each colony had wanted an independent government. They began to set up their own governments, until they all wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776. By 1739, so many restrictions had been placed on the economy, and more were being added. This restricted the trade. AS more immigrants arrived, there was a desire of more land.
English posts were set up in the area west, as there were more moving that direction. This was in the area of the French, as well as the Indians (Nash, 147). The tension built up, causing the 7 years war. After the war, Britain was poor, and cut off the army that it supported in the Americas. The unemployed soldiers took the jobs of the colonists.
The economy had fallen (151). Greenville wanted to make the colonists pay the wartime debt. Imposed were many acts and Taxes, including the Sugar Act of 1764, the Currency Act of 1751, and the Stamp Act of 1765. The Stamp Act taxed almost all paper objects. The public reacted with mass defiance (153), causing riots (156). By March of 1770, Parliament responded to the economic hardships with the lifting of the Townsend duties, except on tea (161).
The Parliament thought they would have the corner on the market. With the Tea Act of 1773, the colonists got so enraged that they dumped the imported tea into the sea (163). The economy had done well, but was still in a tight place when the Congress placed the Intolerance Acts. This caused the people to band together to make what they needed (175). With the economy in decline, the farmers would loose their land, unable to pay the heavy taxes (175). The economic causes for the road to revolution were helped along, and in conjunction with the political aspects as well.
The political aspects were fueled with the greed for the land west of the Appalachian mountains. The 7 years war caused the economic debt and hardships on the colonists, which resulted in the political structures (151). The Parliament passed to many restricting Acts (153). The Virginia House of Burgess was set up as an intercontential congress in reaction to all of the taxes that were being imposed on them. Most of the colonies had set up a central internal congress by this time (lecture notes, pg 3).
The Stamp Act Congress passed a law that they could be taxed by Parliament, but to directly. This political Power was the start of the unification (157). The taxes were lifted, except on tea. At the same time, the Parliament was paying the salaries of the governmental officials (judges), which had controlling impact on the colonies (162). The Parliament passed the Tea Act, wanting to manipulate the tea market (163), which failed with the Americans boycotting the tea. The Cont intial Congress met to try to fix the grievances of the people, in 1774.
There were 55 respected officials in the Congress from all of the colonies except Georgia. They tried to prepare for independence (lecture notes, 4). With the reading of the gunpowder and ammunition in Lexington and Concord, the militia rebelled. The redcoats were trampled (lecture notes, 5). In 1775, the Second Continental Congress met, ad revolution was in full swing with the Declaration of Independence in 1776, (Nash, 175). Women also made a contribution to the effort of revolution.
They were committed to their beliefs. The women would harass the shop owners that did not go with the revolutionary theme of the time, as well as fasting and praying for the British oppression to end (172). The economy had grown dependant on the imports of cloth and linen, but the women were boycotting that as well. They made their own cloth, and was very committed to doing so, often gathering in community affairs to produce the cloth together. The women also boycotted the tea, as well as burning it. They would not consume British goods.
They fought for their own treatment to change. They were revolutionary, with a large support among themselves. The American Revolution was caused by many factors, political and economic, including the support of women. The colonies were being taxed, they could not afford the farms, as well as the boycott of the imports. The political aspects lead the colonies to in independence.
The women were strong supporters of the revolution too. 34 b.