United States: The Stamp Act of 1765

It is said that learning about history is essential for us to allow that it should never repeat itself, that is unless it of course said historical events wielded positive results such as  life, liberty, sliced bread, and the remote control.

While the Stamp Act of 1765 may have played a minute role in the creation of the former examples, it most certainly had an even larger part in bringing about massive amounts of death and destruction.  As Great Britain’s first direct attempt to levy a tax on it’s American colonies, this legislation would end up snowballing into massive amounts of anger directed at the British occupants at the hands of the colonists all in the name of “taxation without representation.” The buildup of this ire, ten years later, would result  in revolution.  The American Revolutionary War resulted in the death of thousands of soldiers for both the Colonists and the Redcoats. It is believed that perhaps without the Stamp Act of 1765 their lives may have been spared.

Although the Stamp Act of 1765 was signed more than 340 years ago and the war fought because of it has been over for quite some time, it still yields  the potential to prove deadly to those within the borders of the United States.  This hypothetical situation will illustrate just how such a thing is possible:

You are a Revolutionary War enthusiast.  Every year you pick a new re-enactment to participate in.  This spring you decide that you shall be partaking in the re-living  of the Battle of Petersburg in Virginia.  Having been assigned to be amongst the 2,300 victorious British soldiers fighting under Benedict Arnold and William Phillips, you figure that there’s little chance you’ll wind up amongst the 70 taken wounded or dead on their side.  Excited to be apart of history, you don your Redcoat and march out to the field of battle, 2,300 men strong versus a meek fighting force of one thousand Patriots.

You And Your Proud British Soldiers Stand Tall For The King

As you approach the country side you see the Patriots’ plucky first line of defense and set about loading your musket.  However, those cocky colonists are ready for your approach, more ready than you think.  The officer directly across from you has his musket loaded. Unbeknownst to him it is loaded with an actual Revolutionary War era bullet instead of a blank.  Someone at the historical society did a lousy job inspecting the weaponry and unfortunately your opponent has stellar aim despite really having no need for it for this event.

Your American Agent of Death

In an instant you are lying on your back, bleeding from your chest.  No one comes to your aid, because they think you brought blood packets to be super realistic.  You have just been killed by a Revolutionary War musket in the United States, but more importantly, this whole thing would’ve never happened if it weren’t for The Stamp Act of 1765.