A colonial family 's reaction to the stamp act The stamp act was a law passed by the king of England in 1765. The king of England adapted this law because he lost so much money from the French and Indian war that was in 1763. The stamp act was a tax created on paper with a stamp from the king. The colonists had to pay this tax from the big loss of money from the war. The colonists were upset in a variety of different ways; some colonists were upset about the act others others resisted the stamp act. First, the stamp act was created on March 22, 1765. This tax had to be payed on every piece of paper for example; they had to be payed on ship papers, legal documents, licenses, newspaper, dice and even playing cards. The actual cost of the tax