The Intorerable Acts

After the Boston Tea Party, the British Parliament acted to punish Massachusetts and the colonies by enacting the Intolerable Acts. Lord North was given the responsibility to enact these measures.

The Boston Port Act: March 30, 1774, the Boston Port Act closed the Port of Boston to all shipping until full restitution was made to the East India Company and the King for the lost tea and taxes. Protesters claimed that this punished the city for an act of a few. Supplies in Boston dwindled and other colonies sent relief to the blockaded city uniting the American Colonies.

Massachusetts Government Act: May 20, 1774, the Massachusetts Government Act increased royal control over the colony's administration by ending colony charters. Executive councils for the Massachusetts would no longer be democratically elected. Instead they would be appointed by the king. Other offices previously were also to be appointed by the royal governor. Town meeting were severely limited by law. Only one town meeting was allowed a year unless approved by the royally appointed governor.

Administration of Justice Act: May 20, 1774, the Administration of Justice act made it so British official could request to be tried in Great Britain if accused of a crime. This, of course, made it so no British official was tried since witnesses could not travel to London. This infuriated colonists since they pointed out that even after the Boston Massacre, British soldiers received fair trials. It was called the Murder Act by some because they felt it allowed royal officials to get away with murder.

Quartering Act: In 1765, the Quartering Act was passed and ignored by colonial assemblies. In 1774, a revision of the 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 barracks and public houses, but thereafter could be housed in inns, victualing houses, empty building, barns, and other unoccupied structures.

Quebec Act: The Quebec Act didn’t have a direct effect on the thirteen colonies, but it was considered part of the Intolerable Acts. 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 been promised to several colonies through their charters and to which many had already laid claim. In addition to angered land speculators, others were fearful about the spread of Catholicism in American.

Reaction to 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. The harshness of the acts instead caused colonists from all the American colonies to rally around Massachusetts. They felt that it was only a matter of time before their rights would be violated too.

Colonial leaders formed committees of correspondence to discuss the repercussions of the Intolerable Acts. These led to the convening of the First Continental Congress at Philadelphia on September 5. 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. Rather than exact punishment, North's legislation worked to pull the colonies together.