How Colonists Reacted To The Boston Port Act?
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1. First Response: Colonists defined it as one of the five worst Intolerable acts. In response to the Boston Port Act, they imposed economic sanctions on British goods import to the 13 colonies. 2. Second Response: On 1st June 1774, when the British Parliament decided to enforce the law, people all over the 13 colonies observed it as a day of fasting and mourning for showing their sympathy towards the people of Boston. The sympathy emotionally unified the people of the 13 colonies. This emotional support began the journey to the birth of the United States of America. 3. Third Response: From September 5th to October 26th, delegates from all over the colonies (Except Georgia) met in the First Continental Congress. This meeting’s main motive was to counter the five Intolerable acts passed by the English Parliament and set up colonies’ own militias for probable armed conflicts against English Red Coats. 4. Fourth Response: Finally, on 19th April 1775, colonists fought the battles of Lexington & Concord against the English Red Coats. The battles broke all the dams for the American Revolutionary war. Read more in-depth |
Colonists’ Reaction To Boston Port Act: Description
For the American colonists, the Boston Port Act was one of the ugly faces of vengeance from the British Parliament and King George III over the incident of the Boston Tea Party.
American colonists included it among one of those five Intolerable Acts of 1774. Colonists argued that the British government was trying to abrogate their Englishmen’s rights. They considered this law unconstitutional and blamed it for violating the Bill of Rights rules.
They rationalized that not all the people of Boston were involved in that tea party incident. So, imposing the port act over all of them was really brutal.
In the next year (1775), along with other causes, this act also provoked colonists to choose the path of the Revolutionary War for full independence.
What Actually The Boston Port Act Tried To Do?
In 1774 on March 31st, punishing colonists for their rebellious activity (mainly Boston Tea Party), the British authority completely closed the Boston Harbor through the new act. British authority demanded the city residence worth 1 million dollars for their loss.
Authority insisted, until the people of Boston were to compensate East India Company for their losses, they would not open the port.
Even going one step further, to humiliate Bostonians for the tea party, the Parliament also demanded them to say sorry to British King George III. Parliament believed that the act would make colonists oblige to leave the way of rebellion. However, nothing happened the way, they wanted; instead, it backfired badly.
What Was The Result And Response To The Act?
Along with this one, the other 4 Coercive Acts (or Intolerable Acts) became a nightmare to the people of the 13 colonies. The acts started threatening their life and security.
Therefore, as a response to those laws of 1774, the delegates of the colonies (except Georgia) united in a meeting in Philadelphia. The meeting is known as the First Continental Congress (organized from 1774’s September 5th to October 26th).
Here most importantly, they decided to boycott British goods import to the colonies. And they did it successfully.
This time, in return, it became a nightmare for Britain. Because the colonists’ boycott reduced British goods import to the colonies by over 97 percent; especially in Boston, Massachusetts province.
Along with this, Continental Congress also suggested the colonies’ delegates set up their own militias for major armed conflicts against the British Red Coats (or English army).
