The Stamp Act of 1765 passed by the British Parliament

The Stamp Act of 1765 passed by the British Parliament, required all Americans colonists to pay taxes on legal documents, almanacs, newspapers, and nearly every other form of paper used in the colonies. This was a direct tax on the people. The Stamp Act then threatened to take money directly from the colonists without their consent. The colonists argued that this tax violated their right to tax themselves. It was levied without the consent of their own representatives. Here was Taxation without Representation.
In the past, taxes and duties on colonial trade had 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.