methods used to oppose the stamp act Flashcards
boycott of british goods
october 1765
leading merchants in new york signed an agreement not to import goods from britain until the stamp act was repealed
refused to pay debts to english businessmen
merchants formed non importation agreements
signed by 200 merchants
british merchants lost money which forced them to repeal the stamp act - 40% of their trade was with america
tar and feathering of merchants
punishment and public humiliation
many people didn’t want to be stamp act officers because of this
mob action
14th august effigies of bute and oliver were hung from the liberty tree in boston
tore down oliver’s office and destroyed his house - he resigned
many bostonians feared that popular resentment at the stamp act had turned into an attack on property by the ‘rabble’
stamp act congress
intercolonial assembly meeting held in order to draft a set of resolutions which expressed a common colonial position
first alternative form of government
first time all 13 colonies were united - they could revolt more easily
the repeal of the stamp act
march 1766
grenville replaced in july 1765 by a new ministry led by the marquis of rockingham because george iii didn’t like him
many mp’s wanted the stamp act enforced otherwise britain would look weak
british merchants campaigned for the repeal of the stamp act because of the effects of colonial boycotts
what was the declaratory act and when was it passed?
passed to assert that the colonies were subordinate to ‘the crown and parliament of great britain’ and that the parliament had full authority to make laws ‘to bind the colonies and the people of america’
feared the colonies’ ability to damage the british economy
18th march 1766
effects of the stamp act crisis
non importation was abandoned
sons of liberty virtually disbanded
colonial assemblies became more radical and anti british, those who supported lost votes
colonists started to question british parliament’s right to tax and rule over them
