Intolerable Acts

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Intolerable Acts

The Intolerable Acts were a series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 after the Boston Tea Party. The laws were meant to punish the Massachusetts colonists for their defiance in the Tea Party protest in reaction to changes in taxation by the British Government. They were key developments in the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War.

Background

The Intolerable Acts were a response to the Boston Tea Party, an event where American colonists, frustrated with British taxation without representation, dumped 342 chests of British tea into the Boston Harbor. The British government hoped these measures would reverse the trend of colonial resistance but instead they escalated tensions.

The Acts

The Intolerable Acts consisted of five laws:

1. Boston Port Act

The Boston Port Act closed the port of Boston until the East India Company had been repaid for the destroyed tea and order had been restored.

2. Massachusetts Government Act

The Massachusetts Government Act altered the Massachusetts charter and restricted town meetings, effectively reducing the power of the local government.

3. Administration of Justice Act

The Administration of Justice Act allowed the royal governor to order that trials of accused royal officials take place in Great Britain or another colony if he believed the defendant could not get a fair trial in Massachusetts.

4. Quartering Act

The Quartering Act required colonial assemblies to house and supply British troops stationed in America.

5. Quebec Act

The Quebec Act extended the boundaries of the province of Quebec and granted religious freedom to Catholic Canadians. Although not directly related to the other four acts, it was considered one of the Intolerable Acts by the colonists.

Colonial Response

The Intolerable Acts galvanized colonial opposition and led to the formation of the First Continental Congress, which convened in September 1774. The Congress coordinated a colonial response, including a boycott of British goods and the establishment of local militias.

Significance

The Intolerable Acts were a significant factor in the unification of the Thirteen Colonies against British rule and the subsequent outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. They are often cited as a critical turning point in the relationship between Britain and its American colonies.

Related Pages

• Boston Tea Party
• American Revolutionary War
• First Continental Congress
• British Parliament
• Massachusetts
• East India Company