American Colonies Dbq

“During the summer of 1765, thousands of Americans Stormed out of their houses and into the street.” (Burgan 4). I remember like it was yesterday, We were sitting at the table eating breakfast when my dad announced the new tax. It was called the Stamp Act, it was a tax on paper products such as: legal documents, diplomas, and even playing card. My dad and his buddies were furious and did not want to pay the taxes. At that time I really didn't understand why it was happening, do I decided to ask my mom. She explained it was happening because “The war had been costly, and the Mother Country was deeply in debt. By 1764, England's national debt was 130 million pounds.” (Fradin 8). I had over heard my dad talking on the porch, and he said they thought about protesting the act in a violent manner. I didn't understand what that meant, so I went up to my room, pulled out my dictionary, and looked it up. I found out that protest meant to go against something (sometimes violently). My mom wasn't home at the time and did not hear what was going on, so when she got home I told her. She tried to talk my dad out of, but he wouldn't

We just hope boycotting it won't make worse. My mom and the women in the colony have weekly meetings to discuss what we are going to do about the act itself, and the causes it will have on the merchants in the colonies. She said that if Great Britain kept the tax, that no one would want to pay the extra when they went to the store to get their paper products, and the stores would have no business. We had heard about the Sons & Daughters of Liberty forming to burn the houses where stamped British paper was kept. We also heard the hangings of effigies to show how much the people were against act. Finally, we came up with a phrase: “No Taxation Without Representation.” This was basically the cry of the colonists opposing the Stamp