Intolerable Acts
1774
The Act in General
Was passed by British Parliament in 1774 after the Boston Tea Party
Meant to punish the Massachusetts colonists for their defiance by throwing tea into the Boston harbor
In Great Britain these laws were called the Coercive Acts
Took away Massachusetts self-government and historic rights
Gave rise to the American Revolution which would establish our country
What the Colonists thought
The colonists were outraged and resisted the Acts in the Thirteen Colonies
Viewed it as a violation of their natural rights and colonial charters
It was a threat to the liberties of all British America, not just Massachusetts
Richard Henry Lee of Virginia said, "a most wicked system for destroying the liberty of America."