Road to Liberty: Stamp Act

In 1765, Britain faced a major financial crisis. After nearly a decade of war with France over conrol of North American territories, the empire had won vast territory east of the Mississippi River—but almost doubled their national debt. Keeping 10,000 troops in the colonies to maintain their hard-fought victroy also added to the burden.

To raise money, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act in March of 1765. The law taxed all printed materials in the colonies, including newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards. At the time, paper was expensive, and the new tax affected a large portion of the population.

Parliament believed the colonies should help pay for the troops that had defended them, but the colonists, accustomed to being taxed only by their elected assemblies, saw this as a violation of their rights because they had no representation in British Parliament. They responded with protests, boycotts, and riots.

The backlash was so strong that Parliament repealed the Stamp Act the following year, but the damage was done. The conflict revealed deep divisions and was an early sign of the growing unrest.