Final answer:
The Intolerable Acts, alongside the Stamp and Sugar Acts, spurred American colonists towards independence by imposing unacceptable internal taxes and tightening British control, leading to the organization of the Continental Congresses and the Declaration of Independence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The actions by the British government that convinced the American colonists they needed to declare their independence included a series of measures intended to tighten control and raise revenues. Notable among these were the Intolerable Acts, which followed events like the Boston Tea Party and were seen as a direct punishment to the colonies, particularly Massachusetts. The Stamp Act and the Sugar Act imposed internal taxes which were deemed unacceptable by many colonists who felt that only their own elected assemblies should have such taxing authority. The colonists' disaffection with the Crown and British Parliament grew as the right to legislate for the colonies in "all cases whatsoever" was proclaimed in the Declaratory Act. Meanwhile, ideological shifts and practical objections to acts intended to raise money for the Empire solidified the desire for independence. This was expressed through the organization and actions of the First and Second Continental Congresses, which drafted a declaration of rights and, eventually, the Declaration of Independence.