Changes

At issue was not the size of the tax but the fact that no Americans had been consulted, and the colonial legislatures had been ignored.  Parliament assumed it had the right to tax anything it wanted.  The Stamp Act incited the first major American protest. The protests it worked, and Americans continued to protest energetically against the British imperial government in the years from 1765 to 1775; then it was time for all-out warfare.   

At issue was not the size of the tax but the fact that no Americans had been consulted, and the colonial legislatures had been ignored.  Parliament assumed it had the right to tax anything it wanted.  The Stamp Act incited the first major American protest. The protests it worked, and Americans continued to protest energetically against the British imperial government in the years from 1765 to 1775; then it was time for all-out warfare.   

The Stamp Act outraged Americans because it asserted parliament’s right to tax Americans without their consent.  That violated the rights of colonists as Englishmen.  More than that: an illegal tax was an assault on property and liberty, and the two concepts were interlocked in the American mind. Property and liberty were one and inseparable, and without them life was slavery and not worth living. "Give me Liberty," cried [[Patrick Henry]] in 1775, "or give me death!"

The Stamp Act outraged Americans because it asserted parliament's right to tax Americans without their consent.  That violated the rights of colonists as Englishmen.  More than that: an illegal tax was an assault on property and liberty, and the two concepts were interlocked in the American mind. Property and liberty were one and inseparable, and without them life was slavery and not worth living. "Give me Liberty," cried [[Patrick Henry]] in 1775, "or give me death!"

American opposition to the Stamp Act was fierce and nearly unanimous, led by the newly formed "[[Sons of Liberty]]" organizations and gave rise to the slogan "[[No taxation without representation]]."  The American colonists threatened to tar and feather the tax collectors (who quickly resigned), then boycotted all British goods until the tax was repealed a year later. Crowd action ranged from enforcement of community norms to response to economic conflict within the community. Americans opposed hostile government officials, and ridiculed British "placemen" (patronage holders).  At the time of the Stamp Act, crowd action was the most effective and American response.  No one was killed, but American merchants and British officials were shamed and ridiculed in public.

American opposition to the Stamp Act was fierce and nearly unanimous, led by the newly formed "[[Sons of Liberty]]" organizations and gave rise to the slogan "[[No taxation without representation]]."  The American colonists threatened to tar and feather the tax collectors (who quickly resigned), then boycotted all British goods until the tax was repealed a year later. Crowd action ranged from enforcement of community norms to response to economic conflict within the community. Americans opposed hostile government officials, and ridiculed British "placemen" (patronage holders).  At the time of the Stamp Act, crowd action was the most effective and American response.  No one was killed, but American merchants and British officials were shamed and ridiculed in public.

In Pennsylvania the Proprietary Party, fearful of loss of charter rights, instigated riots to discredit [[Benjamin Franklin]]'s Quaker Party, which favored the Crown's taking over the colony. The Proprietary Party specialized in libel; the Assembly Party, politics. In the election of October 1765, the loss of seats by the Proprietary Party demonstrated that the electorate favored moderate resistance to the Stamp Act enforcement. [[Joseph Galloway]] played a conciliatory role and did not let the conflict get out of hand.

In Pennsylvania the Proprietary Party, fearful of loss of charter rights, instigated riots to discredit [[Benjamin Franklin]]'s Quaker Party, which favored the Crown's taking over the colony. The Proprietary Party specialized in libel; the Assembly Party, politics. In the election of October 1765, the loss of seats by the Proprietary Party demonstrated that the electorate favored moderate resistance to the Stamp Act enforcement. [[Joseph Galloway]] played a conciliatory role and did not let the conflict get out of hand.

The central political role of Philadelphia merchants reached a peak with their successful Stamp Act protests in 1765. By 1768 during the [[Townshend Acts]] protests, the wealthier merchants refused to sign agreements concerning the nonimportation of British goods. By 1770, the city’s artisans and radicals became more important to the resistance than merchants. With the Tea Act of 1774, more merchants united with the radicals to revive the languishing revolutionary movement. Although the radicals later succeeded in forcing the break with Britain in 1776, the merchants stepped in to manage the new governments.

The central political role of Philadelphia merchants reached a peak with their successful Stamp Act protests in 1765. By 1768 during the [[Townshend Acts]] protests, the wealthier merchants refused to sign agreements concerning the nonimportation of British goods. By 1770, the city's artisans and radicals became more important to the resistance than merchants. With the Tea Act of 1774, more merchants united with the radicals to revive the languishing revolutionary movement. Although the radicals later succeeded in forcing the break with Britain in 1776, the merchants stepped in to manage the new governments.

===Virginia===

===Virginia===