Rhode Island “…people resolved to seize and destroy the stamp papers, and to take every means of deterring the stamp officers from executing their duty” (King, Peter. Lt-Gov.). At this point the Americans were still in the process of building opposition to the British regime that would eventually lead them into a Declaration of Independence. William Pitt spoke about the Stamp Act and what he thought of it. One of his thoughts was; Omitting the immense increase of people by natural population, and the emigration from every part of Europe, I am convinced the whole commercial system of America may be altered to advantage. You have prohibited where you ought to have encouraged, encouraged where you ought to have prohibited. Improper restraints have been laid on the continent, in favour of the islands. (Pitt, William). Pitt sees the acts being levied incorrectly and in the incorrect ways. He felt that the colonists deserved to have things regulated in some ways but not to the extent that the British had taken it to. Pitt also states that the colonists had been wronged. Finally, he says, “It is that the Stamp Act be repealed absolutely, totally, and immediately; that the reason for the repeal should be assigned because it was founded on erroneous principle”. (Pitt, William). This proves that what Britain was doing was completely wrong and almost illegal. Eventually parliament saw that the Stamp Act was not working and they repealed it in 1766. It is evident William Pitt stood strong with all the other American colonists that saw the Stamp Act as being illegal. As the Non-Importation agreements stated that once the Stamp Act was repealed they would no longer ban British goods. But the colonists were now on edge for any other types of taxation and acts placed on them and it would most likely have angered them even more if any other taxes were to be placed on them. Little did the colonists know that a...
