e eve of the Revolution would
have probably been greatly augmented.

Virginia led the way in opposing the stamp act. On the 30th of May,
1765, near the close of the session, Patrick Henry offered the following
resolutions:--

"Resolved, That the first adventurers and settlers of this his
majesty's colony and dominion, brought with them, and
transmitted to their posterity and all other his majesty's
subjects since inhabiting in this his majesty's said colony,
all the privileges, franchises, and immunities that have at
any time been held, enjoyed, and possessed by the people of
Great Britain.

"Resolved, That by two royal charters granted by King James
the First, the colonists aforesaid are declared entitled to
all the privileges, liberties, and immunities of denizens and
natural-born subjects, to all intents and purposes as if they
had been abiding and born within the realm of England.

"Resolved, That the taxation of the people by themselves, or
by persons chosen by themselves to represent them, who can
only know what taxes the people are able to bear, and the
easiest mode of raising them, and are equally affected by such
taxes themselves, is the distinguishing characteristic of
British freedom, and without which the ancient constitution
cannot subsist.

"Resolved, That his majesty's liege people of this most
ancient colony have uninterruptedly enjoyed the right of being
thus governed by their own assembly in the article of their
taxes and internal police, and that the same hath never
been forfeited, or any other way given up, but hath been
constantly recognized by the king and people of Great Britain.

"Resolved, Therefore, that the general assembly of this colony
have the sole right and power to lay taxes and impositions
upon the inhabitants of this colony, and that every attempt to
vest such power in any person or persons whatsoever other than
the general assembly aforesaid, has a manifest tendency to
destroy British as well as American freedom."[541:A]

Mr. Henry was young, being about twenty-eight years of age, and a new
member; but finding the men of weight in the house averse to opposition,
and the stamp act about to take effect, and no person likely to step
forth, alone, unadvised, and unassisted, he wrote these resolutions on a
blank leaf of an old