The Stamp Act
One of the first things England did to raise money from
the colonists, was to issue the Stamp Act.
The king sent over a large amount of paper on which had
been put a certain stamp. This paper the king
ordered the colonists to use on all their government
writing.
Nothing, so the king said, would be considered of any
value unless it was written on this stamped paper. For
example, suppose a man owed another man a hundred
dollars. When he paid the debt, the receipt would not
be considered of any value unless it was written on
this particular paper. Suppose a young man and maiden
were to go before the minister to be married; the
marriage was not legal, so the king said, unless the
minister did the writing, which was always given the
married bride and groom, on this stamped paper.
Now, as the king had put a very high price upon this
paper, you can see how, by compelling the American
colonists to buy it, it was but one way of getting a
heavy tax from them.
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