Understanding the Intolerable Acts and Their Impact ( Week 5)

Sep 5, 2024

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.