Historical Name: Stamp Act
Common Name: Sycamore
Latin Name: Platanus occidentalis
As the American colonists found themselves more self-sufficient and less dependent on Britain, they developed their own governing bodies. In retaliation, the British imposed duties on lumber, food, molasses, and rum under the Sugar Act of 1764. In 1765 the Stamp Act required the purchase of revenue stamps to help defray the cost of maintaining British troops in America. Thisled the colonists to exclaim “taxation without representation.” In October 1765, nine of the colonies adopted the Declaration of Rights. The Stamp Act was repealed by Britain on March 17, 1766, and to commemorate the event two Sycamore trees were planted at Princeton University, where they still grow today. They are located on Nassau Street near the Maclean House, the residence of the University’s president in 1766. The tree in UCNJ’s Historic Tree Grove was grown from a seed collected from one of the Stamp Act Sycamores.
(text adapted from American Forests)