“Our Colonies must be the

Question

biggest Beggars in the World, if
such small Duties appear to be
intolerable Burdens in their
Eyes.”
—“Pacificus,” Maryland
Gazette, March 20, 1766
Use the excerpt to answer the
question.
This excerpt is from a citizen in
England in response to the
colonial outrage toward the
Stamp Act. What central
argument of the American
colonists against the Stamp
Act is not understood by the
writer?
(1 point)
that it is not the amount
of tax that is the
problem but rather the
fact that the colonists
were not involved in
passing the tax
that trade was heavil

Answer 1

The central argument of the American colonists against the Stamp Act that is not understood by the writer is that it is not the amount of tax that is the problem but rather the fact that the colonists were not involved in passing the tax. The colonists were upset about "taxation without representation," meaning they believed they should have a say in the laws and taxes that affected them, rather than having those imposed by a distant government without their consent.