Declaratory Act

Legislation enacted by the British Parliament on 18 March 1766, in conjunction with the repeal of the Stamp Act, that asserted its authority to govern the American colonies.

Americans were overjoyed by the repeal of the Stamp Act, which created a system of internal taxation. The Declaratory Act, however, actually strengthened the law-making powers of the British in the American colonies. The act asserted the British Parliament's legal authority ‘in all cases whatsoever’.