Benjamin Franklin Testifies Against the Stamp Act

1 Name _____ Class _____ Date _____ The Revolutionary Era Primary Source Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. 15 The Revolutionary Era Benjamin Franklin Testifies Against the Stamp Act Q. Do the Americans pay any considerable taxes among themselves? A. Certainly many, and very heavy taxes .. Q. For what purposes are those taxes laid? A. For the support of the civil and military establishments of the country, and to discharge the heavy debt contracted in the last war .. Q. Are not all the people very able to pay those taxes? A. No. The frontier counties, all along the continent, having been frequently ravaged by the enemy, and greatly impoverished, are able to pay very little tax .. Q. Are not the Colonies, from their circumstances, very able to pay the Stamp duty?

2 A. In my opinion, there is not gold and silver enough in the Colonies to pay the Stamp duty for one year. Q. Don t you know that the money arising from the stamps was all to be laid out in America? A. I know it is appropriated by the act to the American service; but it will be spent in the conquered Colonies .. not in the Colonies that pay it .. Q. Do you think it right that America should be protected by this country, and pay no part of the expense? A. That is not the case. The Colonies raised, cloathed and paid, during the last war, near 25000 men, and spent many millions .. Q. Have you not heard of the resolutions of this house, and of the house of lords, asserting the right of parliament relating to America, including a power to tax the people there? A. Yes, I have heard of such resolutions. Q. What will be the opinion of the Americans on those resolutions? A. They will think them unconstitutional, and unjust.

3 ABOUT THE SOURCE In 1765 the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act. This act placed a tax on all printed materials in the American colonies. A firestorm of protest erupted. Colonists believed the taxes were unfair. They passed resolutions calling for the repeal of the Stamp Act. Americans refused to use the stamps and boycotted British imports, forcing Parliament to reassess its policy. Benjamin Franklin testified Against the Stamp Act before the British House of Commons in February 1766. As you read note how Franklin , in his answers (A.) to the questions (Q.), describes the colonists resolve. The following words may be new to you: contracted, appropriated. You may want to use a dictionary to look them up. Name _____ Class _____ Date _____ The Revolutionary Era Primary Source Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

4 All rights reserved. 16 The Revolutionary Era Q. Was it an opinion in America before 1763, that the parliament had no right to lay taxes and duties there? A. I never heard any objection to the right of laying duties to regulate commerce; but a right to lay internal taxes was never supposed to be in parliament, as we are not represented there .. Q. Can any thing less than a military force carry the Stamp -act into execution? A. I do not see how a military force can be applied to that purpose. Q. Why may it not? A. Suppose a military force sent into America, they will find nobody in arms; what are they then to do? They cannot force a man to take stamps who chooses to do without them. They will not find a rebellion; they may indeed make one. Q. If the act is not repealed, what do you think will be the consequences? A. A total loss of the respect and affection the people of America bear to this country, and of all the commerce that depends on that respect and affection.

5 Q. How can the commerce be affected? A. You will find, that if the act is not repealed, they will take very little of your manufactures in a short time. Q. Is it in their power to do without them? A. I think they may very well do without them .. Q. What used to be the pride of the Americans? A. To indulge in the fashions and manufactures of Great Britain? Q. What is now their pride? A. To wear their old cloaths over again, till they can make new ones. Source: The Examination of Doctor Benjamin Franklin , before an August Assembly, relating to the Repeal of the Stamp -Act, &c., 1766 WHAT DID YOU LEARN? 1. Why, according to Franklin , did the colonists object to the Stamp taxes? _____ _____ 2. How did the British politicians questioning Franklin try to justify the Stamp Act? _____ _____ 3. How does Franklin say the colonists will respond if the Stamp Act is not repealed? _____ _____ The Revolutionary Era Answer Key Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

6 All rights reserved. 30 The Revolutionary Era Primary Source Benjamin Franklin Testifies Against the Stamp Act WHAT DID YOU LEARN? 1. Franklin said the colonists were already heavily taxed and many of them did not have the money to pay the new Stamp taxes. He also said that the colonists considered the taxes to be unjust since America was not represented in Parliament. 2. The British held that: Parliament had a right to tax the colonies; the colonists should pay part of the cost of their protection; the money raised from the Stamp Act would be spent on the American colonies. 3. The Americans will no longer continue to respect the English, and will continue their boycott of English goods. He also suggests that the British use of troops to enforce the Stamp Act would likely provoke a rebellion. George Washington Is Selected to Command the Colonial Army WHAT DID YOU LEARN? 1. Adams believed that Washington had the skill, experience, and character needed for such a command.

7 Adams also wrote that Washington could unite the colonies better than anyone else. 2. Hancock appeared to be greatly displeased with Adams s choice. Perhaps Hancock wanted to be selected to command the army. 3. Opponents of Washington s nomination believed that the soldiers in the army, who were predominantly from the New England area, would not want to be commanded by a Virginian. They also stated that the colonial army was happy with its current general and had achieved success under him. History and Geography News Traveled Slowly MAP ACTIVITY 1. Students should use the first highlighter or pen to fill in the square next to Printed within 5 days in the map s key, and to shade and underline Philadelphia and Baltimore on the map. 2. Students should use the second color to fill in the square next to Printed within 6 to 10 days in the map s key and to shade or underline New York, Annapolis, New London, and Providence on the map.

8 3. Students should use the third color to fill in the square next to Printed within 11 to 15 days in the map s key and to shade or underline Hartford, Exeter, Salem, Boston Worcester, and New Haven on the map. 4. Students should use the fourth color to fill in the square next to Printed within 16 to 20 days in the map s key and to shade or underline Williamsburg and Watertown on the map. ANALYZING MAPS 1. Philadelphia was the first city to print the Declaration of Independence, most likely because that was the city in which the Declaration was created and signed. 2. Baltimore and New York 3. Exeter 4. No. There seems to be a ratio between distance and printing time for New York and Baltimore, which are the two cities closest to Philadelphia, and which were the next two cities after Philadelphia to print the Declaration. However, Exeter is farther than all of the cities listed below it on the table, yet the Declaration was printed there earlier than in the others.

9 Also, New Haven is only about 180 miles from Philadelphia, but the Declaration was printed there after it was printed in cities farther away.