The Stamp Act of 1765 was a direct tax imposed by the British Parliament on the colonies of British America.The first direct tax to be levied on the American colonies, it required that all newspapers, pamphlets, legal documents, commercial bills, advertisements, and other papers issued in the colonies bear a stamp. The American colonies were furious and refused to pay for the tax that the British put on them. The Americans in all 13 colonies protested strongly and the British retreated part way, but insisted on the right of Parliament to tax the colonies. The Americans rejected that as unconstitutional, declaring "No Taxation without Representation", and it was a major grievance that led to the American Revolution.