Susannah's Opinion of the Stamp Act
Susannah is the wife of a wealthy Boston merchant
"Dear Lord, what is happening to our gentle society? The Crown levies a modest
stamp tax to help repay the huge cost of protecting us in the French and Indian
war, and some colonists respond with violence? I would gladly pay a few pennies
tax on paper to ensure the King's Regiments are defending our land.
I fear for my own life after witnessing the harrowing experiences of my friends.
In August the home of our Chief Justice, Thomas Hutchinson was attacked and
burned. His family narrowly escaped. During that same month, my friend Andrew
Oliver, was also the subject of threats and violence when his property was
under attack and his image hung in effigy in Hanover
Square. Why? Simply because Andrew was appointed as a distributor of stamps
by King George. To save his life, he was forced to resign this position! All
the stamp agents did the same in fear of tar and feathering and other acts of
mob
rule. Our merchant friends also suffer, as do we, from the embargo on British
goods.
Don't they understand? We are all British - stop treating those who obey the
King as the enemy!"