Final answer:
The Stamp Act, imposed by the British Parliament in 1765 and introduced by Prime Minister Grenville, was one of the key contributing factors to the American Revolution, as it imposed a tax on printed materials in the colonies and led to the rallying cry of 'no taxation without representation.'
Step-by-step explanation:
The Stamp Act was introduced by Prime Minister Grenville, who had previously authored the Sugar Act of 1764. It was one in a series of measures by which the British Parliament sought to increase revenue from the North American colonies following the French and Indian War. The Stamp Act required the purchase of revenue stamps for anything printed on paper, effectively imposing an internal tax on newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards, among other items. The act was seen as an assertion of Parliament's power to control colonial policy and prompted the first significant colonial opposition to British legislation, expressed memorably in the slogan "no taxation without representation." The echoes of discontent led to widespread protest, and in 1766, under intense colonial pressure, Parliament repealed the Stamp Act. However, it simultaneously passed the Declaratory Act, reaffirming its right to tax the colonies, sowing the seeds of future discord that would eventually lead to the American Revolution.
Colonial Response and the Stamp Act Congress
In response to the Stamp Act, the Massachusetts House of Representatives issued a circular letter resulting in a meeting known as the Stamp Act Congress. Held in October 1765 in New York, this congress included representatives from nine colonies who issued a Declaration of the Rights and Grievances of the Colonies, as well as petitions to the king and Parliament for economic relief and the act's repeal. The introduction of the act was a defining moment in the worsening relationship between Britain and its American colonies, raising constitutional issues and inciting fervent protest against perceived British overreach.