On December 17, the Sons of Liberty again forced him to publicly swear that he would never act as stamp distributor.
In Boston, another example of the violence they committed could be found in their treatment of a local stamp distributor, Andrew Oliver.
Their violent actions made many of the stamp distributors resign in fear.
Rhode Island's appointed stamp distributor, Attorney General Augustus Johnson, refused to execute his office "against the will of our Sovereign Lord the People."
Having served as a clerk under a stamp distributor, he passed to the Yorkshire Fire and Life Office at York, then to the banking house of Messrs. Leatham, Few, and Co., at Wakefield (1843-1846).
By November 16, twelve of the stamp distributors had resigned.
The only major public protest was the hanging in effigy of the stamp distributor and Lord Bute.
The act was implemented in both provinces, but Nova Scotia's stamp distributor resigned in January 1766, beset by ungrounded fears for his safety.
Although the Stamp Act was scheduled to go into effect on November 1, 1765, it was not enforced because protestors throughout the colonies had compelled stamp distributors to resign.
Unable to prevent its passage, he made another political miscalculation and recommended a friend to the post of stamp distributor for Pennsylvania.