Simplify the following text for a Grade 7 native English-speaking person.
Original: Arnold initially took no part in any public demonstrations but , like many merchants , continued to trade as if the Stamp Act did not exist , in effect becoming a smuggler in defiance of the act .
Simplified: At first Arnold took no part in any public demonstrations but , like many merchants , continued to trade as if the Stamp Act did not exist . This meant he was a smuggler in defiance of the act .