“Henry, what you don’t seem to understand is that in every colony, perhaps excepting Georgia, we have developed political systems that are much more democratic than anything Great Britain has ever known. Although the crown appoints the governors and their councils, all the colonies have some form of parliaments or assemblies that deal with internal matters. From town meetings in Massachusetts to legislatures in the Carolinas, the people have gained the right to make decisions about our own lives, including the levying of taxes. Until George became king in 1760, these rights were basically unchallenged, but since then he has encouraged Prime Minister Grenville to put the screws to the colonies. They’ve tried in every way to interrupt all navigation except trade that benefits Britain and is carried on British bottoms. We Scots will never forgive him. On top of that, the Stamp Act imposed on us from London is a direct violation of our freedom, and a departure from the ancient principle of no taxation without representation.”

“Mr. Knox, I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t see that the Stamp Act is all that much of a problem.”

“Son, aside from the legalities involved, it is an unbearable burden for my business and for anyone else that has to deal in contracts, deeds, bills of sale, wills, or any other kind of legal documents. The tax is even imposed on playing cards, marriage licenses, newspapers, and pamphlets. This is something we cannot accept.”

“I don’t understand why this has happened. Why wasn’t London satisfied with the way things were going?”

Mr. Knox hesitated a moment and then replied, “The answer to that is complicated. With the end of the French and Indian War, England had prevailed over all of her historic enemies and is now dominant in North America and on the world’s seas. At the same time, there is a tremendous debt that has to be paid off, accumulated from all the military action. The colonists have also been a financial burden, with few if any taxes collected over here ever sent to England.”

“But why single out the colonies? Didn’t we do everything possible to help in the war against France?”

“Well, to be truthful, the answer is no. Most colonial governments met the official requests from London for financial contributions, which rarely even covered the expenses of the colonies. But, in fact, a lot of merchants, including my own company, continued to trade freely with the French even during the conflict. It was very lucrative for us, and the British seem to resent it even more now than when the war was under way. This is one of the main arguments that the king has used against us. About ten thousand of the British troops that were fighting the French and the Indians are now quartered over here, and some hotheads in Parliament claim that our taxes should be used to pay this cost.”