The Stamp Act was a direct tax imposed on all paper goods in the British colonies in America. It was the first direct tax imposed on the colonies by the British Parliament, and it was met with widespread protest and resistance. The colonists argued that they had the right to be taxed only by their own colonial assemblies, and that the Stamp Act was therefore unconstitutional. They also argued that the tax was unfair, because it was levied on all paper goods, regardless of their value. The Stamp Act was eventually repealed in 1766, but it left a lasting legacy of resentment and distrust between the British government and the American colonies.