Nine colonial delegations attended the Stamp Act Congress in New York in 1765.
The congress met from October 7 through October 25, 1765, in response to the British Stamp Act. The law required many printed materials, including newspapers, legal documents, almanacs, playing cards, and dice, to carry an official stamp purchased from the government.
Twenty-seven delegates represented nine of the thirteen British colonies. Several colonies were absent because royal governors prevented their legislatures from meeting or selecting delegates. The gathering nevertheless created an early example of intercolonial cooperation against parliamentary taxation.
The congress issued a Declaration of Rights and Grievances. It argued that colonists possessed the rights of English subjects and that taxation required representation in colonial assemblies. Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in 1766, but it simultaneously passed the Declaratory Act, asserting authority over the colonies. The Stamp Act Congress therefore preceded and helped foreshadow the Continental Congresses.