In the face of widespread opposition in the American colonies,
Parliament enacted the Stamp Act, a taxation measure designed
to raise revenue for British military operations in America.
Defense of the American colonies in the French and Indian War
(1754-63) and Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763-64) were costly affairs
for Great Britain, and Prime Minister George Grenville hoped to
recover some of these costs by taxing the colonists. In 1764, the
Sugar Act was enacted, putting a high duty on refined sugar.
Although resented, the Sugar Act tax was hidden in the cost of
import duties, and most colonists accepted it. The Stamp Act,
however, was a direct tax on the colonists and led to an uproar
in America over an issue that was to be a major cause of the
Revolution: taxation without representation.
