The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. It went into effect in the American colonies on November 1, 1765. This act required colonists to pay a tax on many printed materials such as legal documents, newspapers, magazines, and playing cards, which had to be produced on stamped paper from London with an embossed revenue stamp. The purpose of this tax was to help pay for British troops stationed in the American colonies after the Seven Years' War (also known as the French and Indian War). The act was highly unpopular among the colonists and contributed to the growing movement that eventually led to the American Revolution.