Date of The Intolerable Acts
- Boston Port Act (March 31st, 1774)
- Massachusetts Government Act (May 20th, 1774)
- Administration of Justice Act (May 20th, 1774)
- Quartering Act (June 2nd, 1774)
- Quebec Act (June 22nd, 1774)
When did the Intolerable Acts start and end?
When did the intolerable acts start and end? Because Boston had been the center of resistance to British rule during the winter of 1773–74, it was the focus of the four Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) passed by Parliament in 1774 to reassert its authority in America.
Why did Parliament pass the Intolerable Acts?
The Coercive Acts of 1774, known as the Intolerable Acts in the American colonies, were a series of four laws passed by the British Parliament to punish the colony of Massachusetts Bay for the Boston Tea Party. The four acts were the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quartering Act.
When and where did the Intolerable Acts occur?
The Coercive Acts, which were called the Intolerable Acts by the American colonists, were passed by Parliament in 1774 in response to colonial resistance to British rule. The four acts were (1) the Boston Port Bill, which closed Boston Harbor; (2) the Massachusetts Government Act, which replaced the elective local government with an appointive one and increased the powers of the military governor; (3) the Administration of Justice Act, which allowed British officials charged with capital ...
When did Britain pass the intolerable act?
The Intolerable Acts (passed/Royal assent March 31 – 22 June 1774) were 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.
What were the Intolerable Acts of 1774?
In response to colonial resistance to British rule during the winter of 1773–74, Parliament was determined to reassert its authority in America and...
What four acts made up the Intolerable Acts?
The Coercive Acts, which were called the Intolerable Acts by the American colonists, were passed by Parliament in 1774 in response to colonial resi...
Why was Boston the focus of the Intolerable Acts of 1774?
Because Boston had been the center of resistance to British rule during the winter of 1773–74, it was the focus of the four Coercive Acts (Intolera...
Which of the Intolerable Acts was a new version of an old act?
The Coercive Acts (called the Intolerable Acts by the colonists) included a new Quartering Act that provided arrangements for housing British troop...
What were the intolerable acts?
Intolerable Acts. The Intolerable Acts (passed/Royal assent March 31 – 22 June 1774) were punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 17 74 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.
What are the primary documents relating to the Intolerable Acts?
Primary documents (British and American) relating to the Intolerable Acts, originally published in the American Archives and presented online by the Northern Illinois University Libraries, also Camden. Text of the Boston Port Act. Text of the Massachusetts Government Act. Text of the Administration of Justice Act.
What was the impact of the Intolerable Acts on the colonies?
Great Britain hoped that the Intolerable Acts would isolate radicals in Massachusetts and cause American colonists to concede the authority of Parliament over their elected assemblies. It was a calculated risk that backfired, due to the harshness of some of the acts having made it difficult for moderates in the colonies to speak in favor of Parliament. The acts promoted sympathy for Massachusetts and encouraged colonists from the otherwise diverse colonies to form committees of correspondence which sent delegates to the First Continental Congress. The Continental Congress created the Continental Association, an agreement to boycott British goods. Additionally, it was decided that if the Coercive Acts were not reversed after a year, goods were to stop being exported to Great Britain as well. The Congress also pledged to support Massachusetts in case of attack, which meant that all of the colonies would become involved when the American Revolutionary War began at Lexington and Concord.
Why were the Massachusetts laws called the Coercive Acts?
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 . In Great Britain, these laws were referred to as the Coercive Acts .
What was the effect of the Coercive Acts on the colonists?
As a result of the Intolerable Acts, even more colonists turned against British rule.
Why did the Boston Tea Party happen?
On December 16, 1773, a group of Patriot colonists associated with the Sons of Liberty destroyed 342 chests of tea in Boston, Massachusetts , an act that came to be known as the Boston Tea Party. The colonists partook in this action because Parliament had passed the Tea Act, which granted the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies, thereby saving the company from bankruptcy. This made British tea less expensive. In addition, there was added a small tax. This angered the colonists. News of the Boston Tea Party reached England in January 1774. Parliament responded by passing four laws. Three of the laws were intended to directly punish Massachusetts. This was for the destruction of private property, to restore British authority in Massachusetts, and to otherwise reform colonial government in America.
How did the Thirteen Colonies affect the British government?
Parliament believed that these acts, such as the Stamp Act of 1765 and the Townshend Acts of 1767, were legitimate means of having the colonies pay their fair share of the costs of maintaining the British Empire . Although protests led to the repeal of the Stamp and Townshend Acts, Parliament adhered to the position that it had the right to legislate for the colonies "in all cases whatsoever" in the Declaratory Act of 1766.
When Did The Intolerable Acts Come To An End?
The way they passed the laws on different dates and months; similarly, they came to an end on different years, dates, and months.
What was the first intolerable act?
1. The first Intolerable act was the Boston Port Act – Passed on 31st March 1774.
Why did the British pass the Tea Party?
The British parliament passed them all to punish colonists for the guilt of the Boston Tea Party.
What act forced Americans to provide shelter to the English soldiers in their own private homes?
On the other hand, via the Quartering Act ‘ Britain, forced Americans to provide shelter to the English soldiers in their own private homes.
What was the fourth act of the British Parliament?
4. The fourth was the Quartering Act – British Parliament renewed this law on 2nd June 1774. Because in 1765, there was already a Quartering Act passed by the Parliament.
Why were the Intolerable Acts named intolerable acts?
But due to their vengeful nature towards colonists, they named them Intolerable Acts.
Which act was repealed in 1778?
2. The Massachusetts Government Act: This was repealed in 1778 by the Parliament of Great Britain.
What was the purpose of the Intolerable Acts?
The Intolerable Acts were meant to force the rebellious colonies back into place , but the opposite happened and only further fueled the flames of rebellion in North America.
What was the Quartering Act?
Finally, a Quartering Act allowed royal governors, rather than colonial legislatures, to find homes and buildings to quarter or house British soldiers. This applied to all the colonies and only further enraged colonists by having what appeared to be foreign soldiers billeted in American cities.
What were the questions that colonists asked about tyranny?
These questions included: where had Great Britain received its authority? And to what degree did they have the right to use such force on the colonies? The word tyranny was used to describe the actions of Parliament and the Crown. Men like George Washington in Virginia would write, “Shall we supinely sit, and see one province after another fall a sacrifice to despotism?”
What happened after Great Britain leveled power on Massachusetts?
After seeing the power Great Britain leveled on Massachusetts, other colonies quickly became sympathetic with their fellow colonists and began to wonder how much longer it would be before the same type of actions would be done to their own cities or colonies.
Why did the administration of justice act remove the ability of the colonists to hold trials of British officials in the colonies?
The Administration of Justice Act removed the ability of the colonists to hold trials of British officials in the colonies. Despite the fact that in 1770 , the British soldiers who committed the “ Boston Massacre ” were given a fair trial and acquitted of the charges of murder, this showed the British still did not trust the colon ists in administering justice. By having British soldiers sent back to England for trial, many patriots saw this as a way for British officials and soldiers to avoid justice.
When did the Boston Port Act pass?
When a group of Bostonians destroyed hundreds of crates of British tea on December 16, 1773, rather than pay taxes on them, Britain reacted by passing these Coercive Acts. The first act passed was the Boston Port Act which closed the port of Boston.
What act revoked the charter of the Royal Colony?
Next, they passed the Massachusetts Government Act which essentially revoked the charter of the royal colony and placed them under the direct control of Great Britain. The British would now exercise complete control over the colony while they limited the number of town meetings that could be held in the colony, effectively removing their capability of self-rule and self-government.
What was the purpose of the Intolerable Acts?
In passing the acts, Lord North had hoped to detach and isolate the radical element in Massachusetts from the rest of the colonies while also asserting the power of Parliament over the colonial assemblies.
Why did the British government pass the Tea Act?
On May 10, 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act with the goal of aiding the struggling British East India Company.
What was the Boston Tea Party?
A direct affront to British authority, the " Boston Tea Party " forced Parliament to take action against the colonies. In retribution for this affront to royal authority, the Prime Minister, Lord North, began passing a series of five laws, dubbed the Coercive or Intolerable Acts, the following spring to punish the Americans.
Why did the colonies boycott tea?
During this period, the colonies, angered by the taxes levied by the Townshend Acts, had been systematically boycotting British goods and claiming taxation without representation. Aware that the Tea Act was an attempt by Parliament to break the boycott, groups such as the Sons of Liberty, spoke out against it. Across the colonies, British tea was boycotted and attempts were made to produce tea locally. In Boston, the situation climaxed in late November 1773, when three ships carrying East India Company tea arrived in the port.
What was the Quebec Act?
Quebec Act. Though it did not have a direct effect on the thirteen colonies, the Quebec Act was considered part of the Intolerable Acts by the American colonists. Intended to ensure the loyalty of the king's Canadian subjects, the act greatly enlarged Quebec's borders and allowed the free practice of the Catholic faith.
What did the Continental Association call for?
Creating the Continental Association, the congress called for a boycott of all British goods. If the Intolerable Acts were not repealed within a year, the colonies agreed to halt exports to Britain as well as support Massachusetts if it was attacked.
Why was the murder act important?
Many in the colonies felt it was unnecessary as British soldiers had received a fair trial after the Boston Massacre. Dubbed the "Murder Act" by some, it was felt that it allowed royal officials to act with impunity and then escape justice.
What were the Intolerable Acts of 1774?
Washington's World Colonial Music Institute Quotes. The Coercive Acts of 1774, known as the Intolerable Acts in the American colonies, were a series of four laws passed by the British Parliament to punish the colony of Massachusetts Bay for the Boston Tea Party . The four acts were the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, ...
What is the name of the print that depicts the British ministry forcing tea and imperial rule down America's throat?
This 1777 print entitled, "The able doctor, or America swallowing the bitter draught ," depicts the British ministry forcing tea and imperial rule down America's throat. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library.
What was the Quartering Act?
The Quartering Act was the fourth and final of the main Coercive Acts. It was given royal assent on June 2, 1774. The only act of the four to apply to all of the colonies, it allowed high-ranking military officials to demand better accommodations for troops and to refuse inconvenient locations for quarters.
What was the Quebec Act of 1774?
The Quebec Act of 1774 is sometimes included as one of the Coercive Acts, although it was not related to the Boston Tea Party. These oppressive acts sparked strong colonial resistance, including the meeting of the First Continental Congress, which George Washington attended in September and October 1774.
Why did the Coercive Acts break Massachusetts Bay?
The Coercive Acts were meant to break Massachusetts Bay and to warn the other colonies of the consequences of rebellious behavior.
What was the Massachusetts Government Act?
The Massachusetts Government Act imperiled representative government in the colony. Assuming that Massachusetts was under mob rule, and to " [preserve] . . . the peace and good order of the said province," Parliament passed the act on May 20, 1774.
What was the blockade of Boston?
1 The blockade commenced on June 1, 1774, effectively closing Boston’s port to commercial traffic. Additionally, it forbade any exports to foreign ports or provinces. The only imports allowed were provisions for the British Army and necessary goods, such as fuel and wheat.
What were the four intolerable acts?
The four Intolerable Acts, also known as the Coercive Acts, formed Britain's punishment of both the town of Boston and the province of Massachusetts for the destruction of the East India Company's tea on 16 December 17 73. They were rushed through Parliament in the spring of 1774. Their purpose was to show rebellious colonials that, unlike 1766, when the Stamp Act was repealed, and 1770, when four of the five Townshend taxes were withdrawn, Britain would not retreat this time.
What were the Intolerable Acts of 1774?
These Acts were the British government's response to the Boston Tea Party and an attempt to isolate and suppress the allegedly contagious radicalism of Massachusetts. The Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, and the Massachusetts Justice Act temporarily closed the port of Boston, replaced an elective council by a crown-nominated one, and allowed capital trials of soldiers and officials to be transferred outside Massachusetts. These Acts received overwhelming parliamentary support. In America, together with the Quebec Act and a new Quartering Act, they were seen as proof of Britain 's wish to destroy American freedoms.
Why did the British pass the Intolerable Acts?
The Parliament of Great Britain passed the Intolerable Acts, also known as the Coercive Acts, in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party of December 1773. Angry with the "dangerous commotions and insurrections" that had roiled Boston , the British ministry passed these acts in Parliament for the "reestablishment of lawful authority" in Massachusetts. By doing so, Parliament inspired widespread resistance in North America to its policies, including the meeting of the first Continental Congress later in 1774 and the actions at Lexington and Concord the following year.
What act gave General Gage the power to house British soldiers in private homes?
The British Parliament believed local juries would never render a fair verdict. Finally, the Quartering Act , passed in June, gave General Gage the power to house British soldiers in private homes, something forbidden in the previous Quartering Act of 1764. Although Gage had to pay fair rental prices for his soldiers' lodgings, the act's intent was to punish the people of Boston for the Tea Party. Gage received four regiments of soldiers to keep order in the town.
What was the Quebec Act of 1774?
The colonists also associated the Quebec Act of 1774 with the Intolerable Acts , though it was not intended as a response to the Boston Tea Party. The bill expanded the boundaries of Quebec to include the land north of the Ohio and Illinois Rivers, allowed French Catholics the free exercise of their religion, recognized French civil law (which did not include trial by jury) in Canada, and established a council appointed by the king in lieu of an elected legislature. To the Protestant colonists south of the St. Lawrence River, many of whom feared ecclesiastical control, the Quebec Act was a provocation: the establishment of an arbitrary, tyrannical government filled with Catholic subjects menacing their borders and blocking westward expansion. To the north, however, the Act effectively helped Parliament retain Canadian loyalty to the British Crown.
What was the Boston Tea Party?
The Boston Tea Party of December 16, 1773, helped unite American resistance to the British government. It also launched, however, a campaign in Parliament that was led by King George III 's Prime Minister Lord Frederick North to punish the rebellious Bostonians. Between March and June of 1774 the government passed four bills aimed at ending dissent in the colony of Massachusetts. They are known collectively as the Intolerable Acts.
What was the fourth intolerable act?
The fourth Intolerable Act was the Quartering Act of 1774. In 1765, General Thomas Gage (1721–1787), commander in chief of British soldiers in America, had requested that Parliament pass a Quartering Act because the colonists were refusing to provide living quarters and supplies for Gage's soldiers ( see Townshend Revenue Act entry on page 25 ). The first of the colonial Quartering Acts had gone into effect in 1765. It required the colonies to provide buildings for British troops and to supply them with free bedding, firewood, cooking utensils, cider, and other items. A second Quartering Act followed in 1766 and required the colonies to put up troops in public buildings such as inns, taverns, and unoccupied dwellings. The Quartering Act of 1774, an Intolerable Act, required that the colonists put up troops not only in public buildings but also in dwellings belonging to private citizens. This meant that citizens were required to feed and house an enemy soldier on their private property. The Quartering Act was cruel punishment, indeed; it treated Boston as though it were a captured enemy city.
What were the three Intolerable Acts that were passed in Boston?
Parliament also passed three other Intolerable Acts aimed at punishing Boston: the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quartering Act.
Why was the Tea Act of 1773 passed?
T he Tea Act of 1773, which was soon followed by the Intolerable Acts, was passed because Parliament was trying to save the British-owned East India Company from going out of business. The company was ailing because Americans were refusing to import British tea (instead, it was being smuggled in from Holland). Parliament decided to impose small, secret taxes on East India tea (the taxes would be paid in London before the tea reached the colonies). Parliament thought that even with the secret tax, the tea would still be so cheap Americans would prefer to buy it rather than the more expensive tea they were smuggling in from elsewhere.
What was to stop the British from trying this same trick with other goods, the colonists wondered?
What was to stop the British from trying this same trick with other goods, the colonists wondered? American merchants would be left out in the cold, while British merchants reaped big profits. This threat to American interests brought angry colonists together in a way not seen since the Stamp Act. (The Stamp Act was a 1765 attempt to raise money in the colonies to help pay for British soldiers stationed there.
Where are the dangerous commotions and insurrections?
WHEREAS dangerous commotions and insurrections have been fomented and raised in the town of Boston, in the province of Massachuset'sBay, in New England, by divers ill-affected persons, to the subversion of his Majesty's government, and to the utter destruction of the public peace, and good order of the said town; in which commotions and insurrections certain valuable cargoes of teas, being the property of the East India Company, and on board certain vessels lying within the bay or harbour of Boston, were seized and destroyed: And whereas, in the present condition of the said town and harbour, the commerce of his Majesty's subjects cannot be safely carried on there, nor the customs payable to his Majesty duly collected; and it is therefore expedient that the officers of his Majesty's customs should be forthwith removed from the said town: … be it enacted …, That from and after June 1, 1774, it shall not be lawful for any person or persons whatsoever to lade, put, … off or from any quay, wharf, or other place, within the said town of Boston, or in or upon any part of the bay, commonly called The Harbour of Boston, between a certain headland or point called Nahant Point, … and a certain other headland or point called Alderton Point, … or in or upon any island, creek, landing-place, bank, or other place, within the said bay or headlands, into any ship, vessel, lighter, boat, or bottom, any goods, wares, or merchandise whatsoever, to be transported or carried into any other country, province, or place whatsoever, or into any other part of the said province of the Massachuset's Bay, in New England; or to take up, … within the said town, or in or upon any of the other places aforesaid, out of any boat, … any goods, … to be brought from any other country, province, or place, or any other part of the said province, of the Massachuset's Bay in New England, upon pain of the forfeiture of the said goods, … and of the said boat, … and of the guns, ammunition, tackle, furniture, and stores, in or belonging to the same…. (Commager, p. 71)
When did Lee return to America?
In 1780, Lee returned to America and two years later was elected to the Continental Congress. There, he became increasingly bitter, seeing enemies everywhere, and believing that no one was listening to his ideas. He never married, and died on his Virginia estate in 1792. Some saw him as a hero, while others saw him otherwise; Franklin called him "insane."
What were the Intolerable Acts?
The acts introduced in the American colonies of the British Empire in response to the Boston Tea Party incident are known as the Intolerable Acts of 1774.
Why were the colonists called intolerable?
They were called intolerable because the colonial settlers perceived them as a violation of their rights as Englishmen. They resented the acts and called them unfair as they took away the right of self-governance of the colonial settlers.
What laws did the British introduce to teach the colonists?
This made the British parliament very angry with the colonial settlers and they decided to teach them a lesson by introducing laws known in Britain as Coercive Acts and in the colonies as Intolerable Acts.
Why did the colonists not appreciate the taxes that were levied on the colonists?
Though the colonial settlers were supportive of the British assistance to fight against the French and the Native Americans, they did not appreciate the various taxes that were levied on the colonists for the purpose of reimbursing the British coffers.
How many chests of tea were thrown into the Boston Harbor?
They threw 342 chests filled with tea into the Boston harbor destroying hundreds of pounds worth of tea. This incident was called the Boston Tea Party and it inspired a similar protest in New York. The British parliament was enraged by this incident and all the parties united against the American radicals.
What was the battle between the colonies of New France and those of British America?
By 1754, the colonies of New France and those of British America were fighting in the American theater of the Seven Years’ War of Europe. Both sides had Native American allies and military support from their home countries of France and Britain.
How did the British attempt to exact the debt incurred by the British government during the French and Indian War?
In the following years, the British attempted to exact the debt incurred by the British government during the French and Indian War by introducing taxes.
Overview
The Intolerable Acts were a series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 after the Boston Tea Party. The laws aimed to punish Massachusetts colonists for their defiance in the Tea Party protest of the Tea Act, a tax measure enacted by Parliament in May 1773. In Great Britain, these laws were referred to as the Coercive Acts. They were a key development leading to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War in April 1775.
Background
Relations between the Thirteen Colonies and the British Parliament slowly but steadily worsened after the end of the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War) in 1763. The war had plunged the British government deep into debt, and so the British Parliament enacted a series of measures to increase tax revenue from the colonies. Parliament believed that these acts, such as the Stamp Act of 1765 and …
Passage
On December 16, 1773, a group of Patriot colonists associated with the Sons of Liberty destroyed 342 chests of tea in Boston, Massachusetts, an act that came to be known as the Boston Tea Party. The colonists partook in this action because Parliament had passed the Tea Act, which granted the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies, thereby saving the company from bankruptcy. This made British tea less expensive. In addition, there was added a …
The Acts
The Boston Port Act was the first of the laws passed in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party. It closed the port of Boston until the colonists paid for the destroyed tea and the king was satisfied that order had been restored. Colonists objected that the Port Act punished all of Boston rather than just the individuals who had destroyed the tea, and that they were being punished without having been given an opportunity to testify in their own defense.
Effects
Many colonists saw the Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) as a violation of their constitutional rights, their natural rights, and their colonial charters. They, therefore, viewed the acts as a threat to the liberties of all of British America, not just Massachusetts. Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, for example, described the acts as "a most wicked System for destroying the liberty of America".
The citizens of Boston not only viewed this as an act of unnecessary and cruel punishment, but t…
External links
• Primary documents (British and American) relating to the Intolerable Acts, originally published in the American Archives and presented online by the Northern Illinois University Libraries, also Camden.
• Text of the Boston Port Act
• Text of the Massachusetts Government Act
Background
The Boston Port Act
- Passed on March 30, 1774, the Boston Port Act was a direct action against the city for the previous November's tea party. The legislation dictated that the port of Boston was closed to all shipping until full restitution was made to the East India Company and the King for the lost tea and taxes. Also included in the act was the stipulation that the...
Massachusetts Government Act
- Enacted on May 20, 1774, the Massachusetts Government Act was designed to increase royal control over the colony's administration. Abrogating the colony's charter, the act stipulated that its executive council would no longer be democratically elected and its members would instead be appointed by the king. Also, many colonial offices that were previously elected officials would h…
Administration of Justice Act
- Passed the same day as the previous act, the Administration of Justice Act stated that royal officials could request a change of venue to another colony or Great Britain if charged with criminal acts in fulfilling their duties. While the act allowed travel expenses to be paid to witnesses, few colonists could afford to leave work to testify at a trial. Many in the colonies felt i…
Quartering Act
- A revision of the 1765 Quartering Act, which was largely ignored by colonial assemblies, the 1774 Quartering Act expanded the types of buildings in which soldiers could be billeted and removed the requirement that they be provided with provisions. Contrary to popular belief, it did not permit the housing of soldiers in private homes. Typically, soldiers were first to be placed in existing ba…
Quebec Act
- Though it did not have a direct effect on the thirteen colonies, the Quebec Act was considered part of the Intolerable Acts by the American colonists. Intended to ensure the loyalty of the king's Canadian subjects, the act greatly enlarged Quebec's borders and allowed the free practice of the Catholic faith. Among the land transferred to Quebec was much of the Ohio Country, which had …
Intolerable Acts - Colonial Reaction
- In passing the acts, Lord North had hoped to detach and isolate the radical element in Massachusetts from the rest of the colonies while also asserting the power of Parliament over the colonial assemblies. The harshness of the acts worked to prevent this outcome as many in the colonies rallied to Massachusetts’s aid. Seeing their charters and rights under threat, colonial le…