The Coercive Act Dbq Analysis

The Coercive Acts - 1774
Named the Coercive or Intolerable Acts by the American colonists, these acts were passed by Parliament in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party, an event which consisted of the violent destruction of merchandise of the East India Company. These acts closed the Port of Boston, demanded recompense for the damaged and lost tea, cut down town meeting times, and allowed the British-appointed Governor of Boston to appoint council members, as opposed to having them elected by popular vote. These actions incited much anger amongst colonists across America, demonstrating a quickly growing sense of unity among the often divided colonies.
Document F - 1774
The Able Doctor, or, America swallowing a Bitter Draught, addresses not only the political and economic relationship between the colonies and Britain, but also the social and cultural differences that were only articulated in the years immediately before the Revolution. The cartoon depicts the Prime Minister pouring tea, indicative of the Tea Act, down the throat of an American Indian woman, who represents America. She is also being held down by a judge, who represents the British court system, which did not serve true justice to the colonists in terms of protecting their liberties.

He raises Bostonians as “most noble citizens,” claiming that they are set as an example for the world, and as a hopeful case study for the rest of the American colonies. Putnam believes that the glory contemporarily held by Great Britain will, in due course, be transferred to America because of its bountiful land and industrious people. This idea that America had boundless potential as a nation served as one of the cornerstones of the burgeoning American