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The Stamp Act of 1765 had a greater impact on anti-British sentiment than any other event or policy prior to the American Revolution. This was because those most affected by the Stamp Act, newspaper publishers, had the power to shape public opinoin. Events such as the Boston Massacre and publication of Thomas Paine's Common Sense aided in leading Americans to see separation from Great Britain as their only recourse. This paper identifies examples of the press's effect on public opinion after imposition of the Stamp tax on paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]