One of the Intolerable Acts of 1774, specifically the Massachusetts Government Act, imposed several requirements on the Massachusetts colonists.
- Restructuring of the Massachusetts Government:
The acts altered the Massachusetts colonial government by significantly reducing its powers and limiting self-governance. The Massachusetts Governor's Council, previously elected by the colonists, would now be appointed by the British governor. The act also limited town meetings and other forms of local self-government.
- Impartial Administration of Justice:
The act aimed to ensure that British officials accused of committing crimes in Massachusetts would receive a fair trial by moving such practices outside the colony to other British colonies or England. This provision was seen as a way to protect British officials from local juries sympathetic to colonial grievances.
- Expansion of the Royal Navy's Authority:
The act expanded the authority of the Royal Navy in Massachusetts by granting excellent, more extraordinary naval officers to enforce trade and customs regulations. This provision aimed to crack down on smuggling and increase British control over colonial trade.
These measures were collectively referred to as the Intolerable Acts by the colonists, as they viewed them as oppressive and a violation of their rights as British subjects. The acts significantly escalated tensions between the American colonies and the British government, ultimately leading to the American Revolutionary War.
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