Stamp Act

American  

noun

American History.

1. an act of the British Parliament for raising revenue in the American Colonies by requiring the use of stamps and stamped paper for official documents, commercial writings, and various articles: it was to go into effect on November 1, 1765, but met with intense opposition and was repealed in March, 1766.

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Stamp Act British  

noun

1. a law passed by the British Parliament requiring all publications and legal and commercial documents in the American colonies to bear a tax stamp (1765): a cause of unrest in the colonies

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Stamp Act Cultural  

1. A law passed by the British government in 1765 that required the payment of a tax to Britain on a great variety of papers and documents, including newspapers, that were produced in the American colonies. Special stamps were to be attached to the papers and documents as proof that the tax had been paid. The stamp tax was the first direct tax ever levied by Britain on the Americans, who rioted in opposition. The American colonists petitioned King George III to repeal the act, which he did in 1766.

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Example Sentences

By January 1964, less than two months after his assassination, the program included 380,000 participants scattered across 22 states, becoming permanent later that year with the passage of the Food Stamp Act.

From Salon • Jan. 4, 2026

A few months later, on August 31, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Food Stamp Act of 1964.

From Salon • Nov. 6, 2023

In particular, the Stamp Act of 1765 taxed legal documents and printed materials as a means of generating revenue for Britain, which led to widespread protests.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

He controlled every element of the narrative, coordinating protests over unfair taxes, the onerous Stamp Act and the hated forced importation of tea, then publicizing the uproar for an ever-widening audience.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 4, 2022

He had actually lent his support to the Stamp Act in 1765 and lobbied for a position within the English government as late as 1771.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis