What Act taxed all printed materials in the colonies?

The British colonies were becoming more expensive to operate. After the French and Indian War ended, the British passed some tax laws that were designed to have the colonists share in some of the costs of operating the colonies. The British felt the colonists were benefitting by being part of the British Empire. Therefore, they believed the colonists should share in some of the costs of operating the colonies.

One tax law that was passed after the French and Indian War ended was the Stamp Act. This law placed a tax on printed materials. This tax applied to items such as newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards. The colonists strongly objected to this law. They felt that since they didn’t have representatives in Parliament that could speak about and vote on this proposed tax law, that this violated their rights as British citizens. The colonists said all British citizens have representatives in Parliament that can speak about and vote on laws before they are passed. The British refused to budge, and the Stamp Act went into effect. The colonists were unhappy with this law, and they agreed to boycott British products until the Stamp Act was repealed.