A map of New York during the Stamp Act riots

Why this record matters

Date

1 November 1765

Catalogue reference

MPI 1/168

In 1765, New York was a small settlement at the southern end of Manhattan Island. In this drawing of the city, east is shown at the top, placing the North River (labelled N, now called the Hudson River) nearest to the viewer. The East River (labelled K) is shown in the background. The drawing is attributed to a 'W Cockburn' and is the only known mention of him in our archive.

Although the low buildings shown here are very different from the city's modern skyline, some features are recognisable today. Bowling Green (labelled D) still lies at the southern end of Broadway, and the Battery (labelled B) is now Battery Park. Other landmarks have changed. For example, Fort George (labelled A) was a British military site and administrative headquarters that was demolished in 1790.

In this drawing, the city seems peaceful. The presence of three ships in the North River and explanatory text, however, hint at the chaotic events that created the need for restored order.

At this time, the Province of New York was a British colony. Its people were subjected to the Stamp Act of 1765. This was a tax applied to printed or written materials produced in the North American colonies. Under this law, legal documents, newspapers and other goods affected by the tax had to be made using special paper embossed (marked) with revenue stamps.

The stamp tax was deeply unpopular. It quickly became a well-known example of 'taxation without representation'. This was a common phrase used by taxpayers in the colonies who, despite their financial contribution, could not vote for representation in the British Parliament.

In New York, protests against the tax escalated into riots that lasted for four days. A particular focus of the mob's anger was the stock of unused stamp tax paper that was kept in Fort George. Unable to protect the fort from rioters, British authorities agreed to destroy the paper. After the rioters’ demands were met, some order returned to the city.

Archibald Kennedy, a captain in the Royal Navy, placed the ships shown on this specially drawn map in positions that he thought would help the authorities maintain control. The map is one of 37 documents that he compiled and sent to the Admiralty in London. He hoped the documents would justify his actions and explain why the authorities had failed to defeat the rioters. The documents are now part of a volume (book) of correspondence in The National Archives’ Admiralty collection.

Ultimately, parliament repealed the Stamp Act in 1766, in response to sustained opposition from the American colonies. The colonies' successful resistance to this tax is seen as a key moment in America's independence story.