Question

document analysis: a summary of the 1765 stamp act by colonial williamsburg museum (2017)
the stamp act was passed by the british parliament on march 22, 1765. the new tax was imposed on all american colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. ships papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were taxed. the money collected by the stamp act was to be used to help pay the costs of defending and protecting the american frontier near the appalachian mountains (10,000 troops were to be stationed on the american frontier for this purpose).
the actual cost of the stamp act was relatively small. what made the law so offensive to the colonists was not so much its immediate cost but the standard it seemed to set. in the past, taxes and duties on colonial trade had always been viewed as measures to regulate commerce, not to raise money. the stamp act, however, was viewed as a direct attempt by england to raise money in the colonies without the approval of the colonial legislatures. if this new tax were allowed to pass without resistance, the colonists reasoned, the door would be open for far more troublesome taxation in the future.
few colonists believed that they could do anything more than grumble and buy the stamps until the virginia house of burgesses adopted patrick henrys stamp act resolves (series of resolutions passed by the virginia house of burgesses in response to the stamp act). these resolves declared that americans possessed the same rights as the english, especially the right to be taxed only by their own representatives; that virginians should pay no taxes except those voted by the virginia house of burgesses; and that anyone supporting the right of parliament to tax virginians should be considered an enemy of the colony.
document analysis: thomas hutchinson recounts the reaction to the stamp act in boston (1765)
the distributor of stamps for the colony arrived in boston from london; and, having been agent for that colony, and in other respects of a very reputable character, received from many gentlemen of the town such civilities as were due to him... a few days after, early in the morning, a stuffed image was hung upon a tree, called the great tree of the south part of boston subsequently called liberty tree. labels affixed denoted it to be designed for the distributor of stamps...before night, the image was taken down, and carried through the townhouse, in the chamber whereof the governor and council were sitting. forty or fifty tradesmen, decently dressed, preceded; and some thousands of the mob followed down king street to olivers dock, near which mr. oliver^ had lately erected a building, which, it was conjectured, he designed for a stamp office. this was laid flat to the ground in a few minutes. from thence the mob proceeded for fort hill, but mr. olivers house being in the way, they endeavored to force themselves into it, and being opposed, broke the windows, beat down the doors, entered, and destroyed part of his furniture, and continued in riot until midnight, before they separated.
a: mr. oliver was the distributor of stamps for the massachusetts bay colony
cornell notes
what was this act doing? how did the colonists react and why?

Explanation:

The Stamp Act was a tax imposed by the British Parliament on American colonists in 1765 for various printed - materials. Colonists were offended as it was seen as a direct money - raising tax without colonial legislature approval. In Virginia, the Stamp Act Resolves were passed to assert rights. In Boston, there were riots against the stamp distributor Mr. Oliver.

Answer:

The Stamp Act imposed a tax on printed materials in the American colonies by the British Parliament in 1765. Colonists reacted with resistance, such as passing the Stamp Act Resolves in Virginia and rioting in Boston, because they saw it as an unjust tax without colonial legislative approval.