In 1764 and 1765, Britain raised taxes in the colonies to beef up the British budget and to pay for an increased military presence in the colonies. The
Stamp Act, for example, taxed all sorts of paper items, including legal documents,
newspapers, pamphlets, marriage licenses, and even playing cards. Colonists didn't
appreciate these taxes and insisted that only the colonial legislatures could raise the
colonies taxes. They argued that they should not suffer from British taxation
without representation in the British Parliament. Why would the colonists' be so
concerned about the Stamp Act?