HISTORY 1DD3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: First Continental Congress, Intolerable Acts, Quebec Act
19 Jun 2018
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Coercive Acts and Quebec Act
●Background Info: After the Boston Tea Party Lord North fumed that only “New
England Fanatics” could possibly revolt against inexpensive tea.
● The 4 Coercive Acts, together with the Quebec Act, formed the Intolerable Acts:
● 1) Boston Port Bill (Apr 1, 1774) - Ordered the navy to close Boston harbour unless
the town paid for the ruined tea by June 1. The short deadline was implemented to
ensure the harbor’s closure, which would lead to serious economic distress.
● 2) Mass. Govt. Act - Restructured the govt. to make it less democratic. Colony’s
upper house would be appointed for life by the crown. Changes brought Mass. in line
with other royal colonies, but colonists felt the actions were hostile towards liberty.
● 3) Administration of Justice Act (aka Murder Act) - Permitted any soldiers charged
with murder while enforcing royal authority to be tried in England or other colonies.
● 4) new Quartering Act - Allowed governor to use empty private buildings to house
troops. Furthermore, Gen. Thomas Gage was appointed governor.
● 5) Quebec Act - Intended to cement loyalty to Britain among French-Canadians. Mde
Catholicism the official religion in Quebec, and permitted property disputes to be
settled by French law.
● The Intolerable Acts convinced colonists that once resistance was smashed, the
Quebec Act would provide the blueprint to ridding future representative govts.
●
● In other words, although only intended to punish Mass. (esp. Boston), the repeal of
these laws became the colonists’ nonnegotiable demand.
First Continental Congress
● In response to the Intolerable Acts, 52 reps. (exc. Georgia) formed the First
Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
● They endorsed the Suffolk Resolves, which declared that the colonies owed no
obedience to the Coercive Acts and that the colonies should take defensive measures
in case of a royal attack.
● They also came up with the Continental Association, which agreed boycott of all
British goods and the end of exportation to Britain and the West Indies.
● Not all delegates, esp. more moderate ones, agreed but finally, the delegates
summarized their demands in a petition to George III.
● By addressing the King, Congress hoped that the King would put right the
Parliament's wrong.
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Document Summary
Background info: after the boston tea party lord north fumed that only new. England fanatics could possibly revolt against inexpensive tea. The 4 coercive acts, together with the quebec act, formed the intolerable acts: 1) boston port bill (apr 1, 1774) - ordered the navy to close boston harbour unless the town paid for the ruined tea by june 1. The short deadline was implemented to ensure the harbor"s closure, which would lead to serious economic distress. Act - restructured the govt. to make it less democratic. Colony"s upper house would be appointed for life by the crown. Changes brought mass. in line with other royal colonies, but colonists felt the actions were hostile towards liberty. 3) administration of justice act (aka murder act) - permitted any soldiers charged with murder while enforcing royal authority to be tried in england or other colonies. 4) new quartering act - allowed governor to use empty private buildings to house troops.
