Lesson 5 section 6 The Intolerable Acts

The Intolerable Acts

• The Intolerable Acts were a set of laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party.
• The laws were intended to punish Massachusetts for its role in the Tea Party and reassert British control over the colonies.
• The Intolerable Acts included the Boston Port Act, which closed Boston Harbor to all shipping until the ruined tea was paid for.
• The Massachusetts Government Act placed the government of Massachusetts firmly under British control, limiting the power of colonial officials.
• The Administration of Justice Act stipulated that British soldiers accused of murder would be tried in England, not in the colonies.
• The Quartering Act required colonists to provide housing and supplies for British troops.
• The Intolerable Acts were met with widespread opposition throughout the colonies.
• Colonists in other cities expressed their support for Boston by closing their shops and sending food and money.
• The Virginians drafted a resolution in support of Massachusetts, arguing that an attack on one colony was an attack on all of British America.
•  The Virginians also called for a Continental Congress, a meeting of delegates from all the colonies to find a peaceful solution to the conflicts with Great Britain.
• The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in September 1774, bringing together delegates from most of the British colonies in North America.
• Leaders like Patrick Henry encouraged unity, urging delegates to identify as Americans rather than citizens of individual colonies.
• The delegates agreed to send a message to King George urging him to consider their complaints and recognize their rights.
• The delegates also called for a new boycott of British goods until Parliament repealed the Intolerable Acts.
• The delegates agreed to meet again the following May if the boycott didn't work.
• Patriots throughout the colonies organized boycotts and formed local militias.
• These militias, particularly in New England, were known as Minutemen due to their ability to be ready to fight at a moment's notice.
• The Intolerable Acts, instead of forcing the colonies to submit to British authority, led to increased resistance and ultimately escalated tensions towards war.
• The Acts pushed colonists across the colonies towards unity and further galvanized resistance, ultimately leading toward the Revolutionary War.

Test your knowledge about the Intolerable Acts, a pivotal series of laws enacted by the British Parliament in 1774. This quiz covers the key details and impacts of the Acts on the American colonies, emphasizing their role in escalating tensions leading to the American Revolution.