The Stamp Act Congress

The Stamp Act Congress (First Congress of the American Colonies), was a reunion held in New York City in October of 1765. Nine of the British colonies in North America sent representatives/delegates to represent their colonies in the Stamp Act Congress. The goal of the representatives/delegates and politicians was to formulate a unified protest opposing the British taxation, mainly for the Stamp Act of 1765. At first, the Congress seemed to be a failure because only nine of the colonies sent men to represent them. The Stamp Act Congress was ordered by the colonists to discuss their injustices. Also, it was ordered to protest against the measures proposed in the Stamp Act by the British Parliament. It was the first time ever that the politicians from Southern, Middle, and New England Colonies had come together for a common reason.

The Stamp Act congress focused on the implications and the consequences of the Stamp Act of 1765. The men of the Congress were concerned in some elements of the Stamp Act. They said that the Stamp Act was not to regulate trade and commerce, but to get all the money from the colonists. The members of the Congress saw the British command of trade as something legal; however, they saw the imposing of internal taxes as illegal. In the other hand, the Congress noticed that the Stamp Act was introduced by the British without the approval of the colonial legislature. If people didn't follow the Stamp Act, a penalty would have been given to the people who disobeyed the law. Therefore, the members of the Congress and the colonists believed in their rights to trial by jury. The Stamp Act Congress wanted fairness for the colonists.

The members of the Stamp Act Congress believed that the Stamp Act was an intentional attempt to sabotage the commercial strength and the independence of America. The Congress wanted to resist the British Parliament and the authority of England. The Stamp Act Congress was arranged in response to a circular letter distributed by the colonial legislature of Massachusetts Bay. The delegates/representatives of the Stamp Act Congress released a document: "Declaration of the Rights and Grievances of the Colonists". In this important document they declared many things in consideration of the colonists. First of all, they declared that the colonists as members of the British King, had the same rights that the British members had living in England. They also declared that only the colonial assemblies had the right to tax the colonies. As a matter of fact, they declared that colonist were free from taxes except for the ones they had given their acceptance and that they had the right of trial by jury. The Stamp Act Congress did all they can to protect the colonists.