Setting the Stage for the Quebec Act of 1774

The Administration of Justice and The Quebec Act

The Administration of Justice Act

The Administration of Justice Act was an Act created because of the Parliament worried about the courts on America specially in Massachusetts and the trials given to the to British governors in America. So, in May 20 , 1774 the Parliament passed the Administration of Justice Act, it said that the governor had the right to remove any trial sending it to another colony or to Great Britain. In this case the witness was forced to travel to where the trial was going to be. If jail was needed because the defendant prooved that the crime was really committed while acting in a official capacity, such as suppression of riots. The Administration of Justice Act is considered one of the Intolerable Act or Coercive acts. 


The Quebec Act

Parliament passed The Quebec Act  as a intentioned measure designed to get more taxes and benefit the French living in Canada that had come to British power in The Treaty of Paris in 1763. This law included a new governor and council to be appointed to govern affairs with Quebec. The French civil code was officially recognized for use in Quebec, but English law would continue to prevail in criminal matters. Recognition was also given to the Roman Catholic Church in Quebec; this was an important gesture because Catholics were previously unrecognizable for public office, but now could qualify by making a promise of loyalty to British officials. The Quebec Act was also considered part of the Coercive or Intolerable Acts which were seriously protested by Colonists.

The Boston Tea Party

After boycotting English goods The Townshend Act was repelled almost completly but there was a tax that remained and it was the tax they had in tea. The British East India Company had controlled all tea trading between India and the Colonies. As a result of the tax imposed on tea, the colonies refused to buy the British tea. Instead, they smuggled tea in from Holland. To prevent loses of the The British East India Company, Parliament  aprooved for the company to pass tea directly o the colonies which made tea cheaper (even with tax) that the smuggled Dutch Tea. Coloniest didn't accept this either they thought the Parliament was trying to trick them and make them pay taxes. So ina night of December 16, 1773 a group of Boston Patriots or part of  "The Sons of Liberty" went to the Boston Harbor, dressed as Mohawk Indians and boarded 3 British ships (called the Beaver, the Eleanor and the Dartmouth). They dumped 324 tanks or forty-five tons of tea into the Bosoton Harbor. This action made the crown and Parliament really angry so they decided to pass the Coersive Acts which included the Boston Port Act. The Boston Port Act meant that the harbor should be closed to every ship while the Bostonians payed the damage of the tea to The British East India Company.

Boston Port Act & Massachusetts Goverment Act

The Boston  Port  Act  The Boston port act is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which became law on March 30, 1774, and is one of the measures  that were designed to secure Great Britain's over the American dominions. A response to the Boston Tea Party, it outlawed the use of the Port of Boston for "landing and discharging, loading or shipping, of goods, wares, and merchandise.

This act closed the harbor until all the tea that was ruined was paid for.

             Massachusetts  Government Act.

Was passed by the Parliament of Great Britain and became a law on May 20, 1774. The act is one of the Intolerable Acts  it was a method of electing such counselors or assistants, to be created with the several powers, authorities, and privileges. This act took away that right and instead gave the king sole power to appoint and dismiss the council also many civil officers were chosen to represent to have a royal Governor. Patriot leaders in Massachusetts responded to the act by creating the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in October 1774, which acted as an independent government in the early stages of the American Revolution.

Townshend Act

The Townhend Act was originated in 1676. It was also created and named after Charles Townshend and passed by the English Parliament little time after the Stamp Act was repealed. It was designed to collect taxes from the Colonist in America by imposing costume duties on imported materials such as glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. John Dickinson, Samuel Adams and others protested about this taxes. Boston merchants started to boycott English goods. In 1768 The Massachusetts Assembly was dissolved for sending a circular letter to other colonies denouncing the Townshend Act, when the Massachusetts Assembly was dissolved  the colony was put under the control of an appointed governer and lost the right of town meetings. British send troops to keep peace but they were involved in unpleasant incidents such as the Boston Massacre, where five members of a mob that attacked the troops guarding the costume office were killed.  All this boycotts decreased British trade and by 1770 most of the acts were repealed.    

Tarring and Feathering

Tarring and feathering & Sons of Liberty

                                                                          Tarring and feathering.

Is a form of punishment which was developed in 12th century in  England. The earliest mention of this punishments occurs in orders of Richard I of England, this started in  the Holy Land in 1189.This punishment was composed victim was stripped it was  painted with hot tar, and then covered in feathers which stuck to the tar.  This hot tar on bare skin could cause painful and efforts to remove it usually resulted in to pulling out the hairs. The Tarring and feathering was a barbaric practice  and, sadly. The practice was occasionally very violent and resulted in death.

Sons of Liberty

In Boston in early 1765. The sons of liberty was  a political group made by the  American Patriots. This group was formed to protect the rights of the colonist of the British government. In December 1773, the Sons of Liberty distributed a declaration in New York City called the "Association of the Sons of Liberty in New York", which formally stated their opposition to the Tea Act. Sons of Liberty raised was a combination of general outrage against the Stamp Act. This also have a flag called  the rebellious stripes flag with nine vertical stripes (five red and four white).