March 22, 1765

Stamp Act Enacted

The Stamp Act, passed by the British Parliament to raise a revenue to help pay for the high costs of the Seven Years War and the establishment of a permanent military force in the colonies, is ratified by King George III, despite opposition led by William Pitt in the House of Commons and Charles Pratt, Earl of Camden, in the House of Lords. With the Stamp Act scheduled to go into effect on November 1, 1765, Prime Minister George Grenville asks colonial agents to nominate candidates as stamp distributors. Benjamin Franklin and Richard Henry Lee are among those who apply.