The Intolerable Acts: Key Points

Background

• King George III and Prime Minister Lord North were infuriated by the Boston Tea Party.
• In response, the British Parliament passed four harsh laws in 1774, known to the colonists as the Intolerable Acts.
• These acts are known in Britain as the Coercive Acts and were passed with a 4-1 majority.

The Intolerable Acts

1. Boston Port Act

   • Closed Boston Harbor, a vital trade center, until the destroyed tea and its duties were paid.

2. Massachusetts Government Act

   • Overhauled Massachusetts's charter from 1691.
   • Royal governor gained increased power:
     • Appointed officials in the governor’s council.
     • Controlled town meetings, requiring his permission to convene.
     • Appointed local judges and officials, funded by customs duties.
   • Disbanded all Committees of Correspondence.

3. Administration of Justice Act

   • Allowed any British soldier or official charged with a capital crime in America to be tried in England or another colony.

4. Quartering Act

   • Sent four regiments of British soldiers to Boston.
   • Authorized quartering of troops in private homes.

5. Quebec Act (as a punishment to colonies)

   • Established a government for Quebec, making concessions to Roman Catholic French.
   • Extended Quebec’s boundaries to the Ohio River and the Mississippi River, affecting colonial land claims.
   • Intended to keep English colonists near the seaboard to control them easily.

Reactions and Opposition

• Some members of Parliament opposed the Coercive Acts, warning it would lead to resistance.
• William Pitt criticized the acts for punishing both innocent and guilty parties.
• Lord North dismissed opposition, believing the American colonies had no means to resist.
• Claimed the need to "control them or submit to them."

Consequences

• King George III believed the colonies would submit.
• Reports emerged of plans for the Continental Congress to meet in Philadelphia, indicating organized colonial resistance.