The Stamp Act was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain that imposed a direct tax on the colonies of British America and required that many materials printed in the colonies be produced on stamped paper produced in London, bearing an embossed tax stamp. Printed materials included legal documents, magazines, playing cards, newspapers, and many other types of paper used throughout the colonies. Like previous taxes, stamp duty had to be paid in valid British currency, not in colonial paper money. The purpose of the tax was to help pay for troops stationed in North America following the British victory in the Seven Years' War and its North American theater. of the French and Indian War. The Americans said there was no military need for soldiers because there were no foreign enemies on the continent and the Americans had always protected themselves from the Indians. They argued that it was a matter of British patronage towards surplus British officers and career soldiers who were supposed to be paid by London. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Stamp Act was very unpopular among the colonists. One consensus considered it a violation of their rights as Englishmen to be taxed without their consent, consent which only colonial legislatures could grant. Their slogan was "No taxation without representation". Colonial assemblies sent petitions and protests. The Stamp Act Congress held in New York City was the first significant joint colonial response to any British measures; he petitioned Parliament and the king. Local protest groups led by colonial merchants and landowners established connections through the Committees of Correspondence, creating a loose coalition that stretched from New England to Maryland. Protests and demonstrations started by a new secret organization called the Sons of Liberty often turned violent and destructive when the masses became involved. Soon, all stamp duty distributors were intimidated and forced to resign their commissions, and the tax was never actually collected. The Declaration of Independence created what is now known as the United States of America. The document is the symbol of American democracy and one of the free charters of freedom. The words stated in the Declaration have garnered support from settlers at home and settlers living abroad. The effects of the Declaration of Independence can be seen and felt today in the United States of America and in many foreign nations. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness The Declaration of Independence created many other freedoms in the United States of America that perhaps were not even foreseen. One of the most immediate effects felt from the Declaration of Independence was the emancipation of black slaves. Some say that Abraham Lincoln interpreted the Declaration in his own way and with his own understanding. Some say he was inspired to do so. In any case, it led to the Emancipation Proclamation that gave freedom to black slaves. Paine states that humanity was originally in a state of equality and, therefore, the current inequalities must have been caused by some circumstance. Paine says that a common distinction, without any natural or religious basis, is the division between kings and their subjects. This distinction, unlike those between male and female or between good and evil, is not a distinction "of heaven" and Paine wishes to investigate its origin and consequences. Please note: this is just an example. Get a customized paper from our writers now.