The University of North Carolina Press

The Stamp Act Crisis

Prologue to Revolution

By Edmund S. Morgan and Helen M. Morgan

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'Impressive! . . . The authors have given us a searching account of the crisis and provided some memorable portraits of officials in America impaled on the dilemma of having to enforce a measure which they themselves opposed.'--New York Times

'A brilliant contribution to the colonial field. Combining great industry, astute scholarship, and a vivid style, the authors have sought 'to recreate two years of American history.' They have succeeded admirably.'--William and Mary Quarterly

'Required reading for anyone interested in those eventful years preceding the American Revolution.'--Political Science Quarterly

The Stamp Act, the first direct tax on the American colonies, provoked an immediate and violent response. The Stamp Act Crisis, originally published by UNC Press in 1953, identifies the issues that caused the confrontation and explores the ways in which the conflict was a prelude to the American Revolution.

About the Author

Edmund S. Morgan is Sterling Professor of History Emeritus at Yale University. His many books include American Slavery, American Freedom: The Ordeal of Colonial Virginia and Inventing the People: The Rise of Popular Sovereignty in England and America. The late Helen M. Morgan was his wife and collaborator.