In an effort to raise much needed revenue following the French-Indian War, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which called for a special tax stamp on all printed paper, such as newspapers. Unlike previous taxes, this particular tax, affected nearly every colonist and ignited protests throughout the thirteen colonies, as well as in Nova Scotia and the Caribbean. Those hardest hit by the Stamp Act were merchants and printers. In August, 1765 rioting broke out in Boston. The gentry class, merchants, lawyers and politicians were glad of the protests of the Stamp Act, but were very wary of mob action. As a way to control the rebellions over the Stamp Act, an inter-colonial association was formed and it was called the Sons of Liberty.
At first the Sons of Liberty was made up of merchants, lawyers and craftsmen. Groups formed quickly through the rest of the colonies and soon included many working class men. By early 1766 there were chapters of the Sons of Liberty from New Hampshire to South Carolina.
A Boycott English Goods
The Sons of Liberty sought to repeal of the Stamp Act, viewing it as a violation of the peoples liberties by corrupt and self-serving rulers. They published pamphlets and circulated petitions that stressed passive means of resistance, such as boycotting English goods. Crowd action, such as riots and other mob violence, was used only a last resort. While some imposters used the Sons of Liberty for personal revenge and gain, the group policed itself to keep corruption to a minimum.
The Townsend Act
It did not take long before the Sons of Liberty succeeded in their goal to have the Stamp Act repealed in March, 1766 and the Sons of Liberty chapters dissipated. However, just two years later the Sons were reignited as the British Parliament continued to pass taxes without representation. Townsend Revenue Act, was passed in 1768, placing special taxes on common goods such as lead, paint, glass, paper and tea. The Townsend Act sparked even more protest from colonists than the Stamp Act had. Throughout the colonies the Sons of Liberty organized protests, ranging from commemorative Stamp Act dinners in Boston to public town-hall style meetings in Charleston. These invents, which invited ordinary people such as farmers and laborers, helped spread the word of resistance to ordinary folks, including the illiterate who could not read pamphlets, newspapers or petitions.
Even as they advocated passive resistance and peaceful means to dealing with the British Parliament through boycotts and petitions, the Sons of Liberty unwittingly helped bring the colonies one step closer to their independence.
Sources
Faragher, John Mack, Mari Jo Buhle. Out of Many: A History of the American People. Englewood: Prentice Hall, 1995.
Norton, Mary Beth, David M. Katzman. A People and A Nation: A history of the United States. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994.
Lorri Brown - I am a published freelance writer living in the beautiful foothills of Western Maine. Mom to four wonderful children, my passion for ...
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