Coercive+Acts,+Intolerable+Acts

= The Coercive Acts / “Intolerable Acts” =



The British government decided to punish the colonists of Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. In 1774 Parliament enacted the Coercive Acts. This angered the colonists and they nicknamed it the “Intolerable Acts” because they felt they could not tolerate these laws.

The Coercive Acts consisted of five laws. The first law was called the Boston Port Act and was passed on March 30, 1774. This act closed down the Boston Harbor until the colonists paid for the tea they destroyed during the Boston Tea Party. This new act upset colonists in Boston because it punished all of the colonists even if they were innocent. With no ships coming into the port, the colonists couldn’t get the supplies they needed.

The next law was the Massachusetts Government Act. It was passed on May 20, 1774. This law ordered Massachusetts’ government to come under Britain’s government control. Until then Massachusetts’ government had allowed the colonists to choose their executive council members. This act took away that right and gave that right to the British government. This act also did not allow colonists to hold town meetings unless it was approved by the governor. This angered the colonists even more because they believed in having a democratic government.

The third law was the Administration of Justice Act. It was also passed on May 20, 1774. This Act stated that if a British official or soldier was accused of wrongdoing, then the trial was to be held in Britain. This meant that the accuser had to travel across the Atlantic to Britain just to attend a trial. The colonists could not afford the trip or couldn’t leave their families and businesses that long. With no colonial witnesses at trial a British official or soldier could get off with no punishment. British officials and soldiers could do whatever they wanted because they wouldn’t be held responsible for their actions. The colonists nicknamed it the “Murdering Act” in reference to the Boston Massacre.

The fourth law was the Quartering Act. It was passed on June 2, 1774. This act applied to all the colonies, not only Massachusetts. It stated that colonists must provide supplies and living quarters in their homes for British soldiers. This act caused many colonists to protest with outrage because they felt this act invaded their privacy. They were also angry because they wanted to have a say in these decisions and they didn’t trust the soldiers.

 The fifth and last law is called the Quebec Act. This act was passed on June 22, 1774. This act changed the boundaries of Canada’s colony. It gave Quebec the power to govern itself and to freely practice the Roman Catholic religion. This upset many colonists because they already claimed part of those lands for their colonies and they didn’t like the Catholic religion. They were also angry because Britain gave authority and governing power to Quebec, but were taking this power away from American colonists.

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