The Stamp Act was a tax passed by the British Parliament in 1765 that required American colonists to pay a tax on all printed materials such as newspapers, magazines, and legal documents. The colonists strongly opposed this tax because they were not represented in Parliament and felt it was "taxation without representation". As a result, the colonists organized protests, boycotted British goods, and intimidated tax collectors. Ultimately, the Stamp Act was repealed in 1766 due to colonial opposition.

1. THE
STAMP
ACT

2. WHAT WAS THE STAMP ACT?
A tax put on the American colonies
by the British on March 22, 1765

3. WHAT WAS TAXED?
All public documents such as:
Newspapers
Magazines
Legal Documents

4. HOW DID IT COME TO BE?
The French and Indian war was won by
the American colonies with the help of
the British army.
In return for their help, the British
government wanted the colonies to help
pay for the British troops that were
staying in the Americas.

5. MAKE A
CONNECTION!
WHAT AMENDMENT DOES
THIS CONNECT TO?

6. WHY WAS IT PUT INTO ACTION?
Help the British pay for the French
and Indian war.

7. ACTIVITY
TIME

8. WHAT DID THE COLONISTS THINK?
They felt that the British had no right to tax
them because the American colonies were not
represented in the British Parliament.
Therefore, the colonists had no say in these
government decisions.
This was coined: “taxation without
representation”.

9. WHAT DID THE COLONISTS DO?
Protested!
Refused to pay the tax!
Burned stamped paper!
Boycotted British products and
merchants!

10. HOW DID THE COLONISTS PROCEED?
They called for a meeting of all the
colonies.
Representatives from each colony
gathered to form the Stamp Act
Congress.
They prepared a unified protest
against the Stamp Act.

11. WHO ELSE CONTRIBUTED?
The Sons of Liberty
Took to the streets to protest
Intimidated tax collectors so much
that they resigned from their jobs.

12. WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?
On March 18, 1766, the Stamp Act was
repealed.
The same day, British parliament passed
the Declaratory Act. This act stated that
British Parliament had the right to make
laws and taxes in the colonies.

13. QUESTIONS?

14. REFERENCES
For Kids: The Stamp Act. N.p., 2015. Web. 05 Oct. 2015.
History: Revolutionary War Timeline. N.p., 2015. Web. 05 Oct. 2015.
"History.org: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's Official History and
Citizenship Website." A Summary of the 1765 Stamp Act : The
Colonial Williamsburg Official History & Citizenship Site. N.p., 2015.
Web. 05 Oct. 2015.