Reference no: EM133530734

Question

1. The Coercive Acts were a set of 4 acts: The Boston Port Act, The Quartering Act, The Administration of Justice Act and the Massachusetts Government Act. The Boston Port Act, closed off all the ports until the people paid for the tea. The Quartering Act allowed for soldiers to live among/with the people. The Administration of Justice Act allowed a British military member to be tried in another colony or even in England. The Massachusetts Government Act, which was the most problematic Act, put a restriction on town meetings and made its elected council appointive.

It was meant to force the American colonists in compliance by isolating them from the rest of the province and punish (specially Massachusetts) the colonies after the Boston Tea Party. These acts basically made sure that the citizens were under watch of the Military and controlled.

2. Given what happened I think Great Britain did what they felt like needed to be done in order to get things back in line in the colonies. I think it was justified given what was going on, but I don't know if I would say that I think the measures taken were right. The citizens had every right (literally and figuratively.. it was part of the reason they ran away from Great Britain) to protest the Tea Act, but that doesn't mean that dumping $1 millions worth of tea wouldn't come with consequences. The destroyed private property and needed to be punished. It makes me think of situations in today's society, when people protest by breaking and burning things... they get arrested.