AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Stamp and Sugar Acts (Day 38/309)

Welcome to today’s explanation of the Stamp and Sugar Acts in my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Interior of House of Commons in Session, Wikimedia Commons

By the 1760s, the British had accumulated a significant debt due to wars including the Seven Years’ War. This led to a new era of stricter British economic policies.

Stamp Act of 1765 National Park Service

The Revenue, or Sugar Act, was passed in 1764 and taxed sugar and other luxuries. In 1765, they passed the Stamp Act which required stamps to be placed on most printed paper.

“An Emblem of the Effects of the STAMP” Britannica

To the British, it seemed reasonable for the colonies to pay their fair share. The taxes were justified as a way to pay for colonial protection. To the colonists, it was an alarming threat to their liberties and challenged colonial self-government.

Declaration of Rights by the Stamp Act Congress, 1765 Americanrevolution.com

The colonists resented the new policies and called for “No Taxation without Representation.” The Stamp Act Congress was formed with representatives from 9 colonies and issued the Declaration of Rights and Grievances. They organized protests which led to the repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766.

The Stamp and Sugar Acts were the first in a series of new British economic policies. It fueled early efforts of colonial coordination and unity against the British.

Join me tomorrow as I explain colonial resistance groups in our next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!