 
quarrels also started over certain british laws. 
the french and indian war left the british government with a huge debt of 
130 million pounds. 
(in 1976 the british pound was worth $1.62, but it was much more valuable 
in the 1760"s.) 
the english people groaned over the large taxes they had to pay to reduce 
the debt. 
many members of parliament felt that it was only fair that the americans 
help pay this debt. 
after all, they said, didn"t the war benefit the colonists by removing the 
danger of the french and their indian allies? 
and shouldn"t the colonists pay something for the continuing protection by 
the british army and navy? 
so parliament passed a number of tax laws to raise money. 
in 1765 parliament passed the stamp act. 
this law required the colonists to place a stamp, costing from a halfpenny 
to a pound, on many kinds of printed matter: newspapers, advertisements, legal 
papers, and playing cards. 
when news of the stamp act reached the colonies, the americans became 
furious. 
colonial leaders who became famous in history vigorously denounced the 
act: patrick henry of virginia, john adams and samuel adams of massachusetts, 
and benjamin franklin of pennsylvania. 
for a long time the colonists had been paying import duties (taxes on 
goods brought into a country) without rebelling. 
why, then, did they become so angry over the stamp act? 
the reason is that this was the first time parliament had placed an 
internal tax upon the colonies. 
(an internal tax is a tax on goods made and used only inside a country.) 
