Boston Port Act

The act was a response to the Boston Tea Party. King George III's speech of March 7, 1774 charged the colonists with attempting to injure British commerce and subvert the constitution. On March 18, Lord North brought in the Port Bill, which outlawed the use of the Port of Boston (by setting up a barricade/blockade) for "landing and discharging, loading or shipping, of goods, wares, and merchandise" until restitution was made to the King's treasury (for customs duty lost) and to the East India Company for damages suffered. In other words, it closed Boston Port to all ships, no matter what business the ship had. It also provided that Massachusetts Colony's seat of government should be moved to Salem and Marblehead made a port of entry. The Act was to take effect on June 1. ==Passage==

Even some of the strongest allies of America in Parliament at first approved the act as moderate and reasonable, and argued that the city could end the punishment at any time by paying for the merchandise destroyed in the riot and allowing law and order to have their course. However, the Whig opposition in Parliament soon fought the bill in its various stages led by Edmund Burke, Isaac Barré, Thomas Pownall and others. Despite their opposition, the act became a law on March 31, without a division in the Commons and by a unanimous vote in the Lords. ==Aftermath==

Royal Navy warships subsequently began patrols at the mouth of Boston Harbor to enforce the acts. The British Army also joined in enforcing the blockade, and Boston was filled with troops led by Commander-in-Chief Thomas Gage. That was the first step in the unification of the Thirteen Colonies since they now had a cause for which to work together. The First Continental Congress was convened in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774 to co-ordinate a colonial response to the act and the other Coercive Acts. The whole act was repealed from 1 January 1776 by section 42 of the Prohibitory Act 1776 (16 Geo. 3 c. 5). ==See also==