Final answer:
Parliament imposed the Stamp Act on the colonists as a way to defray the costs of the British Empire and to assert their power over colonial policy. The primary reasons for imposing the Stamp Act were the financial burdens of the British Empire and the belief in the colonies' dependence on the Empire.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reasons Parliament provided for imposing the Stamp Act were primarily related to the financial burdens of the British Empire and the belief in the colonists' dependence on the Empire. Firstly, the British had considerable debt from the French and Indian War, and they wanted the colonists to help pay for it. Secondly, Parliament believed that the colonies should be regulated and governed by the Empire, viewing their relationship as one of dependence rather than equality. These reasons led Parliament to impose the Stamp Act as a direct tax on various printed items used by the colonists, such as newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards.