Britain’s Stamp Act imposed a direct tax on printed materials in its American colonies in 1765.
Passed by Parliament on March 22, 1765, the act required many legal documents, newspapers, pamphlets, magazines, and playing cards to carry an embossed revenue stamp. The tax had to be paid in British currency, which was scarce in the colonies.
British officials intended the revenue to help pay for troops stationed in North America after the French and Indian War. Many colonists objected that Parliament was taxing them without the consent of their elected colonial assemblies. The slogan “No taxation without representation” became associated with the resistance.
Colonial protests, boycotts, and pressure from British merchants contributed to repeal of the act on March 18, 1766. Parliament simultaneously passed the Declaratory Act, asserting its authority to legislate for the colonies. The Stamp Act crisis helped develop intercolonial cooperation before the Revolution.