On this day in 1765, The Stamp Act was passed by Parliament. This was arguably the most controversial of the Acts during this time. It stated that newspapers, magazines, cards, and papers had to be marked with an official British seal. Any item not having the seal was illegal. It was a way for the British to make money easily by stamping these products and making sure the colonists acquired the stamps for products. This was the first direct tax (tax directly paid to the government) on the American colonies. It was done to regain money lost to Britain in the French and Indian War (1756-1763).

The colonies went berserk. The colonial economy was already bad, and the colonists felt that it would get worse with the Stamp Act. They also restated that Parliament had no right to tax them without representation in the British government. Violators of the law were also stripped of the right of trial by jury and were tried in vice-admiralty courts. American colonists felt that more and more rights were being taken from them and they rebelled. Protests, some non-violent and some violent, took place. Tax collectors were intimidated and tarred and feathered, then paraded through towns to show what would happen to those who tried to collect the hated tax. The Sons of Liberty were formed in Boston during this time and the Stamp Act Congress (Continental Congress of 1765) was held in New York to send a message to the king. Nine colonies sent representatives who sent grievances to England. The Stamp Act was repealed in 1766 as part of the Declaratory Acts. Please click on the link below to learn more about the history of the Stamp Act.--> www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/deep-dives/stamp-act/ #america250 #america250al #Semiquincentennial #OnThisDay #ThisDayInHistory #americanhistory #HistoryNerd #historyforyoungpeple #americanvillage_alabama #americanvillage #Alabama #montevallo #discovershelbyal ... See MoreSee Less

We are getting close to the one-year mark before the 250th Birthday Celebration of America! And we need YOUR help to make it happen!

With events happening all over the state, we will need all hands on deck to bring the Semiquincentennial of our country to life. How do you sign up? It's super quick and easy! Just follow the link below to sign up for our mailing list and volunteer list for updates and information on how to get involved. -->america250al.org/contact/Thank you for your support! #America250 #America250al #Alabama250 #americanhistory #HistoryNerd #discovershelbyal #historyforyoungpeple #volunteersneeded #volunteertoday #contactus ... See MoreSee Less