What was the 1765 law passed by parliament that required all legal and commercial documents to carry an official stamp showing a tax had been paid.
Stamp act
The 1765 law passed by Parliament that required all legal and commercial documents to carry an official stamp showing a tax had been paid was known as the Stamp Act. The purpose of the act was to raise revenue for the British government to help offset the costs of maintaining a standing army in the American colonies after the French and Indian War. The tax required stamps to be purchased and affixed to legal documents such as wills, deeds, and contracts, as well as on newspapers, pamphlets, and playing cards. The Stamp Act was widely opposed by colonists who felt that they were not properly represented in Parliament and believed the tax to be an infringement on their rights as Englishmen. This opposition led to widespread protests and boycotts of British goods, culminating in the eventual repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766.
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