Ruling rebels: How the Sons of Liberty Became Colonial Powerbrokers.

Abstract

On August 14, 1765, the town of Boston was in turmoil. At the entrance to the city, two large effigies were hanging from a great tree. The first effigy was that of John Stuart, the Earl of Bute, whilst the second was that of Andrew Oliver, a local stamp collector. Their two likenesses had been hung in widespread colonial opposition to the Stamp Act that had recently passed British parliament. The Stamp Act required that all legal and official papers throughout the colonies be taxed, with a stamp on said papers indicating that the tax had been paid. The act impacted a range of documents and goods, including newspapers, court documents, dice and playing cards. Colonial businessmen and merchants felt that the Stamp Act was a flagrant violation of their rights as Englishmen. Thousands of Bostonians gathered around the effigies to protest the unpopular decree.