What:

NEW Repeal of the Stamp Act, 1766 to be Unveiled in a Public Ceremony

Who:

Boston Postmaster Nick Francescucci and Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum Executive Director Shawn P. Ford

When:

July 1, 2016 at 9:00 a.m.

Where:

Abigail's Tea Room at the Boston Tea Party Ship and Museum
306 Congress St.
Boston, MA 02210

Photo Op:

Bostonia Allarum Companie Fife & Drum Corps  and Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum actors in colonial attire/costume will be part of the unveiling

Background:

The new Repeal of the Stamp Act, 1766 commemorates the 250th anniversary of the repeal of the Stamp Act, British legislation that American colonists, who at the time were Englishmen, condemned  “taxation without representation" as a violation of their rights.

London's Parliament passed the Stamp Act on March 22, 1765. Every American colonist felt the sting of the act, since it required payment of a tax on a wide array of paper materials, such as newspapers, legal documents, mortgages, and contracts. A stamp embossed on these papers indicated payment of the tax.

Public sentiment was so strongly opposed to the act that enforcement was all but impossible. A boycott of British goods in many colonial cities also began to have an economic impact. Merchants on both sides of the Atlantic added their voices to the call for repeal of the act. In response to massive resistance, Britain repealed the Stamp Act on March 18, 1766.

Illustrated by noted historical painter Greg Harlin, the stamp depicts a crowd gathered around a “liberty tree” in 1766 to celebrate the repeal. The selvage area displays a proof print of a one-penny revenue stamp and includes a famous slogan from the era: “Taxation without representation is tyranny.” Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp and the pane. 

To kick off the Fourth of July celebrations, the stamp unveiling will be taking place at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum located on the Congress Street Bridge and is situated over the same body of water where the Boston Tea Party took place more than 241 years ago. The Boston Tea Party took place on December 16, 1773 and is considered the single most important event that led to the American Revolution. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum provides a unique immersion and experience in history by representing a key time in history (from 1773 - 1775), through live actors, tea throwing re-enactments, high-tech interactive exhibits, authentically restored tea ships and an award-winning multisensory film, 'Let it Begin Here.' The Museum tells the story of the Boston Tea Party and immediate aftermath that led to the beginning of the American Revolution. 

Groton, MA-based Bostonia Allarum Companie fife and drum corps will be providing a short performance and costumed actors from the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum will also be part of the unveiling.  Boston Postmaster Nick Franescucci and the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum's Executive Director Shawn Ford will each be saying a few words to announce the new Repeal of the Stamp Act, 1776 stamp.

The Repeal of the Stamp Act, 1766 stamp is being issued as a Forever® stamp. This Forever stamp will always be equal to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price. 

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.