Coercive Acts

 

The Coercive Acts, also known as the "Intolerable Acts" as nicknamed by the colonists, were passed by British Parliament as a response to the Boston Tea Party. British Parliament was clearly surprised by this bold act of rebellion from the colonists, and they had to do something to control them and restore order in Boston.

There were 5 Coercive Acts, which were:

1) Boston Port Act: The Boston Port Act was imposed on March 31, 1774. It demanded that Boston Port would remain closed until the colonists payed for the damage caused after the Boston Tea Party. Of course the colonists were against this act, first of all they didnt want to pay the taxes and they were expected to repair the damages caused by a rebellion against taxes.

Administration of Justice Act: was it
really just?

2) Administration of Justice Act: This act was imposed on May 20, 1774, and was only applied in the colony of Massachucetts. It imposed that the British officals were from that moment on immune to criminal prosecution. It authorized the governor of Massachucetts to move trials of royal officials that were accused of crimes to England or another of the colonies if he believed that the accused person would not received a fair trial.This act is often known as the Murder Act because the colonists feared that royal officials would take advantage of this to escape punishment from committing capital offenses.

3) Massachucetts Government Act: It came into effect on May 20, 1774. This law repealed the colony's charter and gave English crown major control. Previously, the colony had elected members of it executive council, but thi Act took away that right and gave the king the absoulte power of appointing the members of this council. Town meeting were prohibited without the approval of the governor, except for one annual meeting. As you see, this taking away of the colonist's democratic power was a giant reason to fuel the colonist's anger.



Colonist has to quarter British soldiers
in her house

4)Quartering Act of 1774: This was the second Quartering Act that was imposed on colonies, but this time it had a different meaning. This law called colonists to provide members of the British troops with supplies and housing, in other words to quarter them, as a last resort on their private homes. In the first Quartering Act, the Quartering Act of 1765, the colonists had to quarter the soldiers who were protecting their land, but now they had to quarter people who were guarding that the law's set by Parliament was being accomplished.

5)Quebec Act: This was imposed on the date of June 22, 1774. This act involved Canada, but it joined the colonial Coercive Acts. This act extended the freedom of worship to the Catholics of Canada, and it also granted Canadians with the continuation of their judicial system. It is considered a Coercive Act because the colonists were mainly Protestants and they didnt like the idea of Catholics worshiping freely on their land.

FACT: Tarring and Feathering. Loyalists could be punished by Patriots by Tarring and Feathering a torture method in which they threw hot tar at the victim, subsequent to the throwing of feathers, and forcing hot tea down the throat.