The Stamp Act of 1765 had a huge negative impact on Colonial Families. The Stamp Act was a tax passed by the British Parliament that required all colonists to pay a tax on any and every printed piece of paper they used. Some of the printed documents included newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, almanacs, legal documents, licenses, bills, and playing cards. This meant that all of these items were to have a stamp placed on them to show payment of tax. The stamps could only be purchased with hard currency which was gold and silver. It was hard to come by usual only by trade. Parliament intended for the tax to help pay for the debt from the French and Indian War that lasted from 1754 to 1763 and continuing the benefit of the defense from the British