250 to 250:131. Stamp Act, Narrated by Joanne Freeman

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Stamp Act, Narrated by Joanne Freeman

Dr. Joanne B. Freeman is an award-winning historian, who studies the politics and culture of America's past to better understand our history.  She is Professor of History and American Studies at Yale University. Freeman recounts how the 1765 Stamp Act sparked colonial protests over "taxation without representation" that helped set the stage for revolution.

In 1765, Britain needed money after the French and Indian War.

Britain passed the Stamp Act.

• The law put a tax on printed materials.
• Many colonists believed the tax was unfair.
• They protested against “taxation without representation.”
• Colonial leaders met in New York to discuss their rights.
• Colonists also boycotted British goods.
• In 1766, Britain ended the Stamp Act.
• The protests helped unite the American colonies.
• This helped lead to the American Revolution.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:03. Do you currently owe any overdue Federal, state, or local taxes in the United States?
• USCIS 100:61. Why did the colonists fight the British?
• USCIS 128:70. What is one way Americans can serve their country?
• USCIS 128:71. Why is it important to pay federal taxes?
• USCIS 128:77. Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.
• Read:  Why do we pay taxes? 
• Write: We pay taxes for the government.  

Family Fun:

• American Battlefields Trust: Stamp Act of 1765
• Gilder Lehrman: Stamp Act, 1765
• JYF Museum: What was the Stamp Act?
• MHS: Stamp Act (1765)
• Michael Zoeller: British Taxes and American Boycotts
• NPS: Anger and Opposition to the Stamp Act
• National Postal Museum: One Minute Wonders: The Stamp Act | Forever Repeal of the Stamp Act single
• PBS and Ken Burns: The American Revolution | How the Stamp Act Lit the Flame of the American Revolution clip
• PBS Learning Media: The Stamp Act: Part 1 | Part 2 
• uscitizenpod: Bostonians Reading the Stamp Act 1765 | Repeal of the Stamp Act 1766 | No Stamp Act Teapot coloring pages