Good morning and welcome to Today In History. Explore the past to understand the present, one day at a time.

Read time ~ 6 min

• Taxation Without Representation

• United States

• Shaping the World

• Just For Fun

• Birthdays & Deaths

Stamp Act (1765)

Setting The Scene

On this first day of November, we’re flipping back the calendar 258 years to 1765. Back then, everyday living looked a little something like this:

• Farming is the primary occupation for many people, and most live in small, close-knit communities

• There is no electricity or rapid transportation

• Education is limited to those in the upper classes, meaning many could not read

• Social hierarchies are more rigid, leading to clear distinctions among classes and the overall lack of individual rights and freedoms

At the world level, the British, French, and Spanish empires control vast territories across the globe. In Northern America sit 13 British colonies, our location for today. Tensions between the Americans and the British are growing, on the verge of bubbling over into the American Revolution.

What Happened?

As an American, you know this day has been coming. You’ve heard rumors that the Parliament is going to impose a tax of some sort, probably to offset the cost of keeping British troops in the colonies. You’re unsure though, and concerned of what’s to come, so you head into town to find out what’s going on.

It’s mayhem, people are outraged to learn about the Stamp Act of 1765. Documents, papers, any printed material, and even playing cards must now have a special tax stamp. After talking with some locals, you conclude that there is no reason the Parliament all the way in England should be able impose a tax in the Colonies without the approval of its citizens. You, like many, view the tax as a symbol of British authority over the colonists.

Impact

The Stamp Act of 1765 marked a significant moment in American colonial history. American resistance to the British parliament spread throughout the colonies by means of public gatherings and protests. Colonists began to boycott the purchase of British goods, one of many resistance tactics.

In today’s world, the concept of “taxation without representation” remains relevant. The Stamp Act ushered in a new age of personal rights and liberties, deeply rooted in the desire for freedom.

What else happened?

U.S.

• John Adams becomes the first US President to live in the White House. (1800)

• Assassination attempt on US President Harry Truman fails. (1950)

• President Jimmy Carter raises the minimum wage from $2.30 to $3.35. (1977)

Shaping The World

• The Black Death reaches London. (1348)

• First bomb dropped from manned aircraft by the Italians in the Italo-Turkish War. (1911)

• European Union is established thanks to the Maastricht Treaty. (1993)

Just For Fun

• Jacques Plante, goalie for the Montreal Canadiens, becomes the first NHL net-minder to wear a fiberglass face mask. (1959)

• “Abbey Road” by the Beatles hits #1 on the US charts, staying there for 11 weeks. (1969)

• Titanic premieres at the Tokyo International Film Festival. (1997)

Birthdays

• Alfred Wegener (1880)

• Larry Flynt (1942)

• Tim Cook (1960)

Deaths

• Ezra Pound (1972)

• Walter Payton (1999)