The colonies responded with outrage. It was considered a “shocking act”. The colonist considered the act unconstitutional, a tax had been imposed and they had not been consulted. They had no need to heed the taxes. The Virginia House of Burgesses was nearing the end of its session when word of the Stamp Act reached it. A young delegate named Patrick Henry introduced a Resolution which stated that: “That the general assembly of the colony, together with his majesty or his substitute have in their representative capacity the only exclusive right and power to levy taxes and impositions on the inhabitants of this colony and that every attempt to vest such a power in any person or persons whatsoever other than the general assembly aforesaid is illegal, unconstitutional, and unjust, and has a manifest tendency to destroy British, as well as American freedom.” This was the beginning of a united colonial opposition to the British Act. Full Text