By: Alexis

The United Kingdom reacted to the Boston Tea Party in March 1774 by passing lots of laws that later on became known as the Intolerable Acts. One of the laws closed the Boston Harbor and they said it should be reopened after the Boston people paid for the tea and showed respect for the British. Another law did not let the Massachusetts lawmakers add powers to the post governor of Massachusetts. The powers made the governor a dictator. King George named Lieutenant General Thomas Gage Commander in chief of the British in North America. He is the new governor of Massachusetts. Thomas was also sent to Boston with troops.

Because of these acts, the Intolerable Acts cause the American Revolutionary war a year later. The citizens of Massachusetts didnt listen to the British rules because they were considered not free. They were against the Stamp Act in 1765. In March 1770 they showed that they were against it by keeping the British troops in their house in Boston. After the Boston Tea Party in 1773; where the Bostonians threw out the tea. The tea belonged to the East India Company. They started putting in laws about the four measures as an example of how the people were rebelling against the British. For example: The Boston Port Act closed the port of Boston so they could no longer trade. The Massachusetts Government Act took away the colonies charter and cancelled all meetings. The Quartering Act said that the people had to let the British soldiers sleep in their house. The Impartial Administration of Justice Act took away the British Officers from the making the laws for the Massachusetts courts. At that time, the colonists didnt listen to the Quebec Act, thats why the people are involved in the intolerable acts because the land in Quebec didnt follow that same government in the colony. Saying that these acts are intolerable, the other colonies came together with Massachusetts. One day Virginia set a day aside where they would pray and fast and later on they told the colonies to meet to join an action against the horrible features of the British Rule. This suggestion led to the First Continental Congress in September 1774.

The Coercive Acts made many people want to fight back. George Washington also said the cause of Boston now is and ever will be the cause of America. The Committees of Correspondence brought the people back together again. They placed a call to all the delegates from all of the colonies to meet and discuss concerns that they have. In September 1774, 56 people from each colony except for Georgia. They met in Philadelphia to form the First Continental Congress. The Committees of Correspondence went all over the colonies to warn the people that the United Kingdom could break apart the laws and take away their rights. Lots of committees called for meetings to organize against the Intolerable Acts. The meeting of the committees later on was called the Continental Congress.

Sources

1. Martin, James Kirby. “Revolutionary War in America.” World Book Online Reference Center. 2007. [Internet.1-11-07 <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar466820>.
2. <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar466820>.
3. Ritchie, Donald A. American History. Ohio: Glencoe/Mcgraw-Hill, 1997.
4. “Intolerable Acts,” Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2006 http://encarta.msn.com