The Aftermath
In the immediate aftermath of the destruction of the tea, there were obviously different reactions from people. John Adams, who was Samuel's cousin, wrote on the 17th, "This is the most magnificent Movement of all. There is a Dignity, a Majesty, a Sublimity, in this last Effort of the Patriots, that I greatly admire. The People should never rise, without doing something to be remembered—something notable And striking. This Destruction of the Tea is so bold, so daring, so firm, intrepid and inflexible, and it must have so important Consequences, and so lasting, that I cant but consider it as an Epocha in History." Adams and other like minded colonists saw this as a needed act of revolution that would surely leave a lasting impact on the history of what would become the United States. It might seem like he had a way to look into the future and see how we now remember the Boston Tea Party, but he was just a man alive during a moment in history who recognized how important this event was.
On the other hand, the British government was obviously greatly displeased with the actions of the colonists and took swift action against them. In response the government passed four acts which came to be known as The Intolerable Acts. These included the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quatering Act. These acts together ended up closing Boston Harbor, replaced the local elected government and increased the power of the military, allowed for British soldiers charged with a capital offense to be tried outside of where the crime took place, and required colonists to house British soldiers. These laws were designed as a way to put down the colonists and their revolutionary spirit, but it also just made them angrier.
These acts brought all of the colonies together more and made them see that their struggle was one that united them. In fact, "as many colonies began to see that their rights were in jeopardy, some colonial leaders began coming together in committees of correspondence to discuss these issues" 1. These meetings of colonial leaders eventually turned into the First Continental Congress where representatives from each colony came together and sent their grievances to King George. This was the first step in the colonies self governing and was the body that ended up being in charge of the government during the war against Britain.
1 Schappell, Stephanie. “Acts of the British Government.” WCDS History Papers, edited by Joseph Cook, Joseph Cook, 2014, pp. 79–79.
