By 1764, after the Seven Years' War, Britain was in debt of over £129,586,789. In 1765, George Grenville drafted his Stamp Bill, which consisted of fifty-five resolutions to tax colonists to help pay off Britain's national debt. Grenville introduced his bill on February 6, 1765, and Parliament passed the bill on the 17th of the same month. King George III put the Stamp Act into effect after the House of Lords further passed the bill in March. This act, and many others, by Parliament to assert control over the colonies would prove detrimental in the years that soon followed (Independence Hall Association, 2011). The Stamp Act was, according to Grenville (1765), “an act for granting and levying certain stamp duties and other duties in the British colonies and plantations in America, to defray further the expenses of defense, protection and security of the themselves..." (par. 1). By taxing the colonies through the Stamp Act, Britain attempted to assert its control and authority over the colonists by making them pay taxes simply for Britain's protection. The Stamp Act covered many aspects of printed material, and the newspaper was required to have an embossed revenue stamp from London, England (Ivester, 2009). The Stamp Act itself provided severe penalties and fines for breaking the law, including death without last rites (Grenville, 1765). The Stamp Act price was exceptionally high by colonial income standards, as prices would still be high by today's standards. For example, the dice tax of ten shillings in 1765 would amount to $54 today. The Stamp Act also provided heavy fines for any violation of its law. A fine of £20 in 1765 would be harsh... half the paper... ndation. (2011). A summary of the Stamp Act of 1765. Retrieved September 18, 2011, from http://www.history.org/history/teaching/tchcrsta.cfmIndependence Hall Association. (2011). The stamp law. Retrieved September 18, 2011, from http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/parent/stampact.htm Ivester, H. (2009). The Stamp Act of 1765: A Fortuitous Discovery. Retrieved September 18, 2011, from http://www.mitchellwilliamslaw.com/wp-content/files_flutter/1264420620StampAct.pdfSage, H. J. (2006). The question of representation: real and virtual. Retrieved September 18, 2011, from http://www.academicamerican.com/revolution/topics/representation.htmSouth Carolina Department of Archives and History. (2009). Teaching American History in South Carolina. Retrieved September 18, 2011, from http://www.teachingushistory.org/lessons/StampActExcerpts.html