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Coercive/Intolerable Acts, 1774.

Introduction:
After news of the Boston Tea Party in December 1773 reached England, the members of Parliament passed several acts designed to punish the misbehaving colonists and force them to submit to the government’s authority. These acts, known in Great Britain as the Coercive Acts, were termed the Intolerable Acts in America. They included five separate pieces of legislation: the Quartering Act, the Quebec Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Boston Port Act. Rather than isolating rebellious colonists in Boston from the rest of the American populace, acts which closed the port to commerce and undercut representative government inspired colonists outside of Massachusetts to support the beleaguered Bostonians.

For definitions of unfamiliar terms please see our glossary.

Intolerable Acts:

Quartering Act

Quebec Act

Massachusetts Government Act

Administration of Justice Act

Boston Port Act 

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