encouraging readers in the end to look at their world in a more quantitative way
A Christmas Carol was written in 1843 and had a major influence on our idea of an old-fashioned English Christmas. ... Dickens's novella also provides us with a vivid picture of the extreme cold and snow found in London streets in late December as we join the Christmas ghosts who visit Ebeneezer Scrooge.
Hope this helps.
The Stamp Act pretty much made all American Colonists pay tax on anything printed.
A newspaper having pages half the size of those of a standard newspaper, typically popular in style and dominated by headlines, photographs, and sensational stories.