Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts): The British government responded to the Boston Tea Party by passing a series of laws known as the Coercive Acts, also known as the Intolerable Acts. These acts were intended to punish the Massachusetts colony and included the following measures:
- The Boston Port Act: Closed the port of Boston until the colonists paid for the destroyed tea.
- The Massachusetts Government Act: Restructured the government of Massachusetts to reduce the power of the elected assembly and increase the power of the British governor.
- The Administration of Justice Act: Allowed British officials to be tried in Britain rather than in the colonies, where they might be more likely to face hostile juries.
- The Quartering Act: Required colonists to provide housing and supplies for British soldiers.
- The Quebec Act: Extended the boundaries of the province of Quebec and granted religious freedom to Catholics, angering many colonists who saw it as a threat to Protestant dominance.
The Coercive Acts further inflamed tensions between the colonies and the British government and contributed to the outbreak of the American Revolution.