Stamp Act Passes: Colonial Resentment Grows
The British Parliament passed the Stamp Act on November 1, 1765, requiring colonists to purchase specially stamped paper for legal documents, newspapers, playing cards, and dozens of other items. It was the first direct tax Britain had ever levied on the American colonies, and it united them in opposition like nothing before. Protests erupted from Massachusetts to Georgia. The Sons of Liberty organized boycotts of British goods, burned stamp distributors in effigy, and ransacked their homes. The phrase 'No taxation without representation' crystallized the colonists' core grievance. Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in March 1766 but simultaneously passed the Declaratory Act, asserting its right to tax the colonies 'in all cases whatsoever.' The fundamental conflict remained unresolved, setting the stage for the Revolution a decade later.
November 1, 1765
261 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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