Satirical broadside celebrating the repeal of the Stamp Act, espousing a pro-trade and pro-American message.
In this example of Carington Bowles’s 1766 engraving the imprint line from below the image has been removed and the paper trimmed just inside the plate mark. It is printed on laid paper with vertical chain-lines and a large crowned paper watermark. There is a small hole top right and slight loss at the right margin together with browning to paper stock. Dimensions: 332x218mm; 13 1/8 x 8 5/8 inches.
British politicians are seen processing through the London docks to mourn the repeal of the Stamp Act on March 18, 1766. This excise duty was imposed in the year before on all printed goods imported to the American colonies. The resultant boycotts led British merchants to bring pressure on the government to enact a repeal, and this anti-tax image mocks the act’s supporters. Behind the two flag bearers, George Grenville carries a small coffin marked "Miss Ame[rica] Stamp." He is followed by Lord Bute, identified by his Scottish bonnet and tartan suit. The London publisher Carington Bowles had borrowed the composition from a print issued by a rival that sold thousands of copies. Its potent political satire, combined with a simple structure, makes the elaborate allegory easy to understand and ensured its instant success.
