Impact of Intolerable Acts on American Revolution

1131 Words3 Pages

Thesis The Intolerable Acts had a more negative impact on the colonists than the Stamp Act, because they were what ultimately led to the Revolutionary war. Question 1 The British Parliament passed The Stamp Act on March 22, 1765. It was a new tax forced on all American Colonists, and it demanded that they pay a tax on every piece of paper they used. “The actual cost of the Stamp Act was relatively small. What made the law so offensive to the colonists was not so much its immediate cost but the standard it seemed to set” (History.org). “The total amount intended to be raised by the new tax was £60,000 per year, this is not even 20% of the total amount of £350,000 per year required to maintain the troops” (Stampacthistory.com). The colonists …show more content…

“[The British] saw the destruction of 342 chests of tea belonging to the British East India Company as wanton destruction of property by Boston thugs who did not even have the courage to admit responsibility. Someone was going to pay”. (ushistory.org). The Intolerable Acts were a series of laws sponsored by British Prime Minister Lord North and passed in 1774. There were four different laws. The Impartial Administration of Justice Act allowed the trials of the British officers, who were accused of murder of the colonists to be moved to another colony. The Massachusetts Government Act gave the British full rule over the colony, which limited the powers of the colonists. Boston Port Act closed the Boston Harbor until the British were paid back for the destroyed tea. The Quartering Act required certain colonists to house and provide food for British troops. Each act had its own effects but overall they all had great effects on the American Colonists primarily in Boston. The acts also brought the colonies together and it led to the formation of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Basically, the Intolerable Acts just made things worse and eventually led to the first Revolutionary …show more content…

“Colonial leaders agreed to send representatives to Philadelphia in September to discuss and adopt just such a unified response. The 1st Continental Congress formally convened on September 5th” (allthingsliberty.com). The purpose of the group was not to get independence from Britain, though. They wanted to fight for their rights with the British government. After discussing things, the Congress created a Declaration of Rights, stating its loyalty to the British Crown but challenging the British Parliament’s right to tax it. They also passed the Articles of Association, which had the colonies stop bringing in goods from the British starting on December 1,

Open Document