Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a tax imposed by the British Parliament on all of its colonies in North America. It was enacted on March 22, 1765, and required that many printed materials used or produced in the colonies be embossed with an official revenue stamp. The act also allowed for the taxation of legal documents, such as newspapers, pamphlets, playing cards, and dice. This marked the first time that Britain had attempted to impose direct taxes on its American colonists without their consent; it sparked outrage among them as they believed it violated their rights as British citizens. The act generated widespread protests throughout the colonies, which ultimately led to its repeal in 1766 due to colonial pressure.
The purpose of this law was twofold: firstly, it sought to raise revenue from the Americans for defending against Native American attacks, and secondly, more importantly, it aimed at strengthening imperial control over them by establishing uniformity within economic activities across all 13 colonies. In addition to these objectives, there were other consequences associated with this legislation, such as increased smuggling activity between Canada (which remained exempt from taxation) and US territories; increased costs of goods bought domestically; boycotts against British imports, etc., all leading up to a growing sense of resentment amongst Americans who felt increasingly frustrated about being unfairly treated under what they perceived as an arbitrary rule from London.