The Stamp Act of 1765 was a British Parliament act that imposed a direct levy on British colonies in America and required numerous published items in the colonies to be penned on London-made imprinted sheets with engraved returns. Legal papers, periodicals, card games, journals, and a variety of other forms of paper were among the written products available, and they had to be accounted for in British cash rather than colonial currency notes.

The levy was intended to pay for British military personnel stationed in the American colonies following the French and Indian War, but colonists hadn't ever anticipated a French assault in the first place, and they claimed that they had already spent their fair part of the war expenditures. They said it was a case of British support for excess British authorities and career troops who must be compensated by the British government.

The Stamp Act was widely reviled by colonists. Being taxed without their approval that only the colonial legislatures could grant—was seen by the people as a breach of their liberties as Englishmen. 'No taxation without representation,' they said. The Stamp Act Congress, convened in New York City, was the first substantial unified colonial opposition to any British measure, petitioning Parliament and the King.

According to one participant of the British Parliament, the American settlers were no different than the 90% of the British people who did not have a property and so we're unable to participate, but who were 'essentially' ruled by landlords and lawmakers who matched their views. In a popular newspaper book, Daniel Dulany, a Maryland attorney, and legislator contradicted this, stating that ties between Americans and English voters were 'too infirm to be relied on' for adequate participation, 'virtual' or other.

Local protest organizations formed Correspondence Committees, which formed a temporary association from New England to Maryland. Strikes and marches were more common, typically led by the Sons of Liberty, and involved the casting of effigies on occasionally. All stamp duty dealers were soon forced to quit their licenses, and the tax was never properly received. The Stamp Act's opponents were not restricted to the colonies. British businessmen and industrialists exerted stress on Parliament because boycotts endangered their exports to the colonies.

The Act was abolished as a point of expediency on March 18, 1766, although the Declaratory Act upheld Parliament's ability to legislate for the colonies 'in all instances whatsoever.' After that, a flurry of new laws and taxation were introduced, which were all met with vehement opposition from Americans. The incident was pivotal in identifying the 27 colonial complaints enumerated in the Indictment of George III portion of the United States Declaration of Independence, paving the way for organized colonial opposition that culminated in the American Revolution in 1775.