How did the American government collect taxes prior to the personal income tax code being created?

Boston Tea Party, LMAO, um, you know, after we became a nation and before 1917...

Public Comments

1. The sale of stamps. You needed a stamp on documents for them to be legal. You needed a stamp to sell certain goods ie. alcohol.... you needed a stamp to transport goods to England and France...etc.... The purchase of these Stamps was a tax. That tax paid for the Army, the minting of money, Government salaries. Then we ballooned government and no longer would the stamps cover the cost. I think we should go back to that system, it was pay as you go....
2. Have you ever heard of the Boston Tea Party? Look into it, it will explain a lot.
3. Tarriffs and taxes placed on valuable goods, stamps is a great example, so is tea, alcohol, etc.... Anything that was essential to people is taxed (and still is).
4. Stamp Act
5. Tariffs on imports provided the bulk of the federal revenue. http://internationalecon.com/Trade/Tch20/T20-3.php