As the thirteen British colonies formed and developed, King George was sitting atop his throne with a grin. The profit that would come out of these territories would surely be an immense benefit for Britain for many years to come. Then, in the early 1600’s, the king certainly did not realize the sense of separation the new colonists would feel being so far away from Britain. The longer they were apart, the more they experienced what life without Britain was like. Now, in the late 1700’s, the formation of the thirteen colonies would be exceptionally significant for the future development of America as an independent country. Although many believe otherwise, the American Revolution was unstoppable after the response to the Intolerable Acts because it pushed the colonists over the edge, allowed the First Continental Congress to form, and caused the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.
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Ultimately, the Intolerable Acts pushed the colonists over the edge to the point of no return. The tense relationship between the colonies and their mother country all started with mercantilism and the Navigation Acts. Although this act angered the colonies, it was only minor. Despite its negative effects, it still allowed colonial trade to prosper which is why it didn’t cause too much resentment. Along with the Navigation Acts were other forms of independent thinking that were already in place before 1700. For example, the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening were both factors that contributed to self-rule, human rights, and reason. Although they were both significant, they were merely just the beginning of a long road. Following these events came several laws and rules that angered the colonies. These included The Proclamation of 1763, the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Declaratory Acts, Townshend Acts, and finally the Intolerable Acts. Clearly any group of people who would have had to endure all of these dreadful laws would as well break out into war for independence. Because the Intolerable Acts were at the end of the bunch, they almost served as a breaking point. The colonists could not and would not stand for another set of foolish rules from Britain. They did all they could to peacefully show Britain they would not stand for anymore taxes. The Intolerable Acts almost was a wakeup call for the colonists. They realized that they had no other option but to break away from Britain. This clearly be seen through the words of Reverend Ebenezer Baldwin who in 1774 said, “View now the situation of America: loaded with taxes from the British parliament…our charters taken away…governors and councils, appointed by royal authority without any concurrence of the people” (Baldwin). Reverend Ebenezer Baldwin references the Intolerable Acts when he talks about charters being taken away and governors being appointed without any colonial say. Undoubtedly, these acts in particular created a great deal of bitterness among the colonists. They were unexplainably harsh and demeaning. They took away rights from the colonists that should have never been taken away. The Intolerable Acts did not only push the colonists over the edge, but it also caused for the creation of the First Continental Congress, a huge step towards independence.
The First Continental Congress, a defining moment in American history, was a result of the Intolerable. Infuriated King George proposed these acts which shut down the Boston harbor and forced colonists to house British soldiers among many other things. The colonists, infuriated as well, responded to these cruel acts by assembling the First Continental Congress which was when fifty six delegates met together. This was the first time that the colonists truly bonded collectively for the same cause. They showed unity and left the British with the frightening question as to what their next move would be. Occurring in September of 1774, The First Continental Congress was also the first time the colonists formally defended themselves. They began various military preparations which showed that the colonists were entirely ready for a revolution. The Intolerable Acts were so important because they gave the colonists the final push they needed to win their rights. It also had the force to make the colonists join together as one unit. If the acts had not been imposed on the colonies, they would not have felt the need to amalgamate and form a Congress. At this point, they knew that independence was necessary, and this was their first step to obtain it. In 1775, when Patrick Henry performed his famous speech in front of the House of Burgesses, he concluded with the lines, “Give me Liberty or give me Death!” (Henry). This single line portrays how passionate the colonists were as a whole towards independence. This type of behavior stemmed directly from the Intolerable Acts which in the end brought the colonies together. These terrible but crucial acts not only bonded the colonies but more importantly allowed for the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, one of the most crucial documents in history.
The Intolerable Acts caused one of the most defining moments of all time, the drafting and finalizing of the Declaration of Independence, the document that permanently separated the colonies from Great Britain. The Intolerable Acts were so damaging that they went as far as to motivate the colonists into writing down a document that would allow them permanent separation from Britain. Clearly, the Intolerable Acts were the point at which the Revolution was unstoppable if they caused such a vital event. Again, if they were not passed, the colonists might just have dealt with Britain a little bit longer. Many felt that “Only a formal declaration of independence remained, and that could not now be long in coming” (Ferling). This feeling that the Declaration was the only option left most likely came from the force of the Intolerable Acts on the colonists. The Declaration was the last step to seperation from Britain. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the colonists released their anger towards Britain; the colonies would deal with their tyranny no more. They would no longer be associated with Great Britain, but rather they would now be the United States of America.
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As seen through various pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the Intolerable Acts themselves were the point at which the American Revolution was inescapable. They visibly pushed the colonists over the edge by aggravating them to a irreversible point, and caused them to create the Continental Congress. This gave a chance for the colonists to unite and gain power when defending themselves against Britain. Lastly, the Intolerable Acts undeniably allowed for the first drafting of the Declaration of Independence, which was the final step in breaking all attachments with the British. Clearly, by forcing the Intolerable Acts on the colonists so unsympathetically, the British caused their greatest loss; the loss of their thirteen precious colonies.
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