Cause and result of American War Part 3

The Boston Tea Party

  • Parliament passed a law in favor of British east India Company who had 17,000,000 pounds of tea to sell in America in 1773
  • This law permits them to take it direct to the colonies in their own ships and sell it direct to the American shopkeepers
  • This would reduce the price of tea and so it was hoped make it cheaper than the smuggled tea
  • But radicle like Samuel Adams, Patrickhenry and the American merchants who had made profits out of smuggled tea opposed the law
  • They united in opposition to the new tax on principle
  • When the tea landed on charieston no one brought it
  • A mob disquied as red Indians forced their way on board the ship and threw the tea overboard

The intolerable acts

1) The ports of Boston were closed

2) The charter of Massachusetts was cancelled so that the people of Massachusetts could no longer elect their own assembly

3) Town meeting were forbidden without approval of the governor

4) Officers and soldiers charged with an offence committed during the performance of their duties were to be tired in another colony or in England as it was felt colonial juries were too soft

5) More troops, which had to be quartered by the colonists were sent to Massachusetts and a strong man General Gage was appointed as governor

6) Also, the Quebec Act was passed this act extended the province of Quebec southward to the Ohio River, thus cutting off the claims of the colonies to their western lands