Intolerable+Acts


 * __The Intolerable/Coercive Acts__  __Acts Within the Act__

One of the many acts that led up to the American Revolution was the Intolerable Acts, as the Americans called it. The Intolerable Acts started in 1774. The English referred to this time in their history as the Coercive Acts. The Intolerable Acts were a series of laws passed by the British as a response to the Boston Tea Party. The English wanted the colonists to pay for their irresponsible acts during the Boston Tea Party.In total, there were 4 main laws or acts that were passed within the big Intolerable Act.

The first act was the Boston Port Act. In this act, the Boston Port or Harbor was closed. This port affected the Americans living in Boston because most of trade was closed. Some items could still be delivered under the watchful eye of British soldiers for example, firewood and some foods. The capital of Massachusetts was moved from Boston to Salem because of this particular act. The British started this act so that the money lost from the not yet taxed tea from the Boston Tea Party could be paid.

The second law or act that was created within the Intolerable Acts was the, Massachusetts Government Act that was passed by the English Parliament. In this act, the Massachusetts charter was slightly changed. This gave the Massachusetts governor more power. It gave the governor more power because the council elected by the colonists was replaced with an appointed one by the governor and the English. Governors were led into states of dictatorships. Town meetings were banned basically taking away the colonists new accomplished form of self-government.

The third law or act former during the Intolerable Acts was the Justice Act. In the Justice Act, the governor had the right to move a trial to another colony or even England if he wanted too. Also, if the governor felt that the jury was being too neutral. This act also, protected British law enforcement because their job was to enforce these new and harsher laws.

The fourth act was the Quartering Act. The Quartering Act really benefited English soldiers and officers the most. During this act soldiers were allowed to inhabit the homes of the colonists and enter public buildings without previous notice. Soldiers could come eat the colonist’s food, use their utilities, and could stay as long as they pleased. These were extra expenses the colonists need to look at.

The last act was "formed" during the Intolerable Acts was the Quebec Act. Historically, this is act is not considered one of the acts within the Intolerable Acts but, is grouped with these main four laws. It was one of the acts that angered the colonists which got them steps closer to the American Revolution that is why it is categorized under the Coercive Acts. Quebec, in the country of today's Canada at the time had just become English territory after the French and Indian War. This act was mainly about religious freedom for the Catholics in Quebec. Catholics living in mainly Protestant countries or areas were greatly discriminated against and hated. The American colonists that were Protestant disagreed with this courtesy to the Catholics. The Americans claimed that Catholicism was connected to dictatorship. In this act religious freedom and civil government were granted to the inhabitants of Quebec. The colonists had to fight for these rights and privileges. Also, the English territory of Quebec was expanding into the Ohio River which dipped into the areas of Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Virginia. This limited the colonists land even more than before. || American and Britain's flag merged. Symbolizes the two different sides that fought each other. http://us-flag.net/images/us-uk-flag.gif

(Above) This is a revolutionary war flag for the Americans. http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTs-BajD10mZ4Ez7tRLTFm8fdx9eaTk9fk4QFIvacgz D7l5MXWAyQ || media type="file" key="IA first part.wma" width="300" height="300" ||
 * __The Cause__

The English had many reasons to start the Intolerable Acts. The English wanted a way that they could restore authority over the colonies after the Boston Tea Party. The Intolerable Acts were the colonists’ consequences for such a hostile act during the Boston Tea Party while the colonists viewed it as a form of rebellion and revolution. They tried to show this authority by oppressing the colonists. The English wanted to reclaim their colonies because the colonies were slowly separating from England. These small acts ended up angering the colonists so much which ignited the perseverance for revolution. || Map of the 13 colonies. Mass. Bay Colony was a colony that was affected by the Coercive Acts. http://library.thinkquest.org/10966/media/map.gif ||  || The Intolerable Acts were a series of rules and four events that took place during the colonial times. One of the events was the Boston Harbor being closed down because of the Bosten tea act which was when the colonists poured 342 cases of tea into the harbor. The massachusetts colony reacted badly to the harbor being closed down because it disrupted their whole trade system which then made them relay on other colonies to provide goods like food. Another event was the that the British got rid of the massachusetts legislature which made the Colonists come together as one. All of these events brought the colonies together. The British were trying to thrust new rules upon the Colonists like making the colonists pay taxes for goods such as tea. The British also tried to take away rights. The colonists did not have a voice in government because the new Governor of Massachusetts, Thomas Gage had total control over town meetings. King George supported these acts that the British were forcing upon the Colonists. The colonists reacted to the acts in a bad way. The colonists did not like these new rules so they decided to revolt. ||  ||   || The British were surprised and angry at the colonists because they were not expecting them to revolt, especially considering the British have more soldiers and weapons. This revolt of the colonists led to the American Revolution. Since the British tried to force rules upon the colonists it backfired on them when the colonists revolted and it eventully led to one of the reasons the thirteen colonies won the American Revolution. ||  ||   ||
 * **__How did the colonists react to the acts??__**
 * **__How did the Colonists reaction affect the British??__**
 * **__Colonists Affected by Their Own Actions__**

The colonists’ reaction to the Intolerable or Coercive Acts was to come together and rebel against the series of laws, which further separated the colonists from British. The colonists believed that the Intolerable Acts were a way for the British to violate their rights as the people of the colonies. All of the colonies tried to help Boston by sending money and supplies to Boston, so the Massachusetts colony could regain what they lost in the Boston Tea Party. Many colonists saw the Intolerable Acts as a threat to their personal liberty, not just in Massachusetts colony, but throughout all the colonies. Even though such laws were created to enforce existing laws in the Massachusetts colony, the other colonies recognized that other laws could easily be extended to their own colony. Many colonists thought of the Intolerable or Coercive Acts as an unnecessary punishment and many more of the colonists living in the America colonies started to distrust and resent the British. The colonists reaction to the Intolerable Acts resulted in the Continental Congress. Twelve delegates out of the thirteen attended this congress. || Document that King George the Third sent to the colonists http://apus2scott.wikispaces.com/file/view/ parliament_boston_port_act.jpg ||  || The Continental Congress was created by the colonists’ reaction to the Intolerable Acts.This congress included delegates from the colonies such as George Washington, Patrick Henry of Virginia, John and Samuel Adams of Massachusetts and John Jay of New York. Their meeting in Philadelphia became known as the first Continental Congress.The congress issued a statement for the colonist’s rights and ordered the rejection of English goods to the colonies. They also asked the King to listen to the colonies protests and ideas. Their first meeting did not establish separation from Britain, but it did denounce tax without proper justification. || The First Continental Congress [] || media type="file" key="what followed.wma" width="300" height="300" ||
 * **__What Came Next__**
 * __Lindsay's Bibliography__

Brown, Lorri. “Coercive Acts.” //American History//. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. .

“The Coercive Acts.” //The Massachusetts Historical Society//. The Massachusetts Historical Society, 2008. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. .

“First Continental Congress.” //American History//. ABC-CLIO, 2011 . Web. 29 Nov. 2011. .

Gerlach, Larry R. “Intolerable Acts.” //Grolier Multimedia// //Encyclopedia//. Grolier Online, 2011. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. .

“Intolerable Acts.” //The New Book of Knowledge//. Grolier Online, 2011. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. .

“The Intolerable Acts and the First Continental Congress.” //Uscfa//. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. . || __Fiona's Bibliography__

“American Revolution.” //History.com//. A&E Television Networks, LLC, 1996 - 2011. Web. 2 Dec. 2011. []

Davidson, James West. //America: History of Our Nation//. United States of America: Pearson Education, Inc., 2011. Print.

Drucker - Hunsaker, Susan, Darlene Conwell, and Jose Manuel Ochoa. “Intolerable Acts and the First Continental Congress.” //The American Revolution//. U of San Francisco, 1999. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. []

“The Intolerable Acts.” //U.S. History Pre-Columbian to the New Millenium//. Independence Hall Assn in Philadelphia, 2008 - 2011. Web. 2 Dec. 2011. [] || __Nina's Bibliography__ "On the Brink of War" Gale Virtual Reference Library. 3rd ed. 58 to 71. Almanac, 2000. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. . ||