Passed on March 31, 1774, the Boston Port Act closed Boston Harbor to most commerce, demanded reparations for the destroyed tea, and imposed a naval blockade on the town. This drastic measure crippled the town’s economy—a significant blow to a seaport heavily reliant on maritime trade. Businesses shuttered, unemployment soared, and the town faced economic ruin.
Parliament believed that the colonies would not support Boston and that it would only be a short time before Boston acquiesced and paid for the tea, reestablishing British authority in the colonies.1 Word of the act reached the colonies on May 11, setting off immediate anger and opposition. The May 16 edition of the Boston Evening Post warned, “AMERICANS … Tyranny without a covering now stares you all in the face. . . You must ALL unite to guard your Rights, or you will ALL be slaves!”2
