Stamp Act Themes
Duty
This isn't a pun. We swear.Okay, it's kind of a pun—it's just a lame one. The idea of a "duty" as something you pay is related to the idea of "duty" as something you're compelled to do. Either wa...
Rules and Order
The Stamp Act was a new rule and it was attempting to pay for order. During the Seven Years War, the colonies were in chaos. The French were attacking from their strongholds in New France (modern-d...
Freedom and Tyranny
The Stamp Act itself isn't about the duality of freedom and tyranny. When Parliament wrote it, they weren't even thinking about this theme at all. As soon as the decree hit American shores though,...
Legitimacy
The Stamp Act doesn't have much to say on the subject of legitimacy. Everyone around it has a ton to say about the matter, though.For British Parliament, the legitimacy of both their rule and the S...