1765

1765 was a year of significant political upheaval in the British Empire, particularly in North America, where new imperial revenue measures sparked widespread colonial opposition and helped shape the route toward American independence. The year saw Parliament pass laws intended to raise funds and assert authority over the colonies, with consequences that reverberated through colonial governments and public opinion.

On March 22, 1765, Parliament approved the Stamp Act, requiring printed materials in the colonies to carry stamp duties. The act became effective November 1, 1765, and angered colonists who argued that taxation without representation violated their rights. Shortly afterward, the Quartering Act of 1765 required colonial governments to provision and house British troops stationed in North America.

Colonial responses were swift and organized. In October 1765, delegates from nine colonies met in New York City for the Stamp Act Congress, producing a declaration of rights and grievances and arguing that only colonial assemblies could levy taxes. In Virginia, the House of Burgesses circulated resolutions asserting that taxation by distant Parliament was improper and asserting colonial rights. Widespread protests, boycotts of British goods, and non-importation agreements accompanied the acts.

These developments hardened resistance in the colonies and set the stage for further confrontations with Great Britain. Although the Stamp Act was repealed in 1766, the controversy established a sense of American unity and a tradition of organized political action that influenced subsequent events leading to the American Revolutionary War. Elsewhere in the empire, the aftermath of ongoing frontier conflicts with Native American groups continued to shape imperial policy.