a) The Boston Port Act

The Boston Port Act of 1774, part of the Coercive Acts, was a punitive measure by the British government in response to the Boston Tea Party. This act effectively closed the port of Boston until the tea destroyed in the Tea Party was paid for, crippling the city’s economy. The act was intended to isolate Boston and suppress colonial resistance, but it had the opposite effect, galvanizing support for Boston from other colonies. This act, along with the other Coercive Acts, unified the colonies in opposition to British policies, significantly contributing to the escalation of tensions leading to the American Revolution.