Restraining Acts 1775 facts for kids
The Restraining Acts were two important laws passed by the Parliament of Great Britain in early 1775. These laws aimed to control trade in the American colonies. They were a response to growing protests and boycotts by the colonists. The British government wanted to show its power and stop the colonists from trading freely.
The first law, called the New England Restraining Act, was passed on March 30, 1775. It said that colonies in New England could only trade with Great Britain, Ireland, and the British West Indies. They could not trade with any other countries. This law also stopped New England fishermen from fishing in the rich waters off Newfoundland. This was a big blow to their economy.
Soon after, in April 1775, a second law was passed. This law extended the trade limits to more colonies. It included Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and South Carolina. The British thought that New York, Delaware, North Carolina, and Georgia were still loyal, so they were not included at first. But this changed quickly.
These acts were passed after the Intolerable Acts of 1774. Those acts had made the colonists even angrier. Instead of calming things down, the Restraining Acts made the colonists resist even more. They started to organize and communicate with each other. The Continental Congress formed and began a boycott of British goods. This hurt British trade and also caused shortages in the colonies. The growing tension soon led to fighting, marking the start of the American Revolutionary War.
After the fighting began, any chance of peace was gone. In December 1775, Parliament passed the Prohibitory Act. This new law stopped all trade with all the colonies. It was like a declaration of economic war. Any ships, sailors, or goods trading with the colonies were treated as if they belonged to enemies. Because of this new, tougher law, the two Restraining Acts were cancelled on January 1, 1776. The Boston Port Act was also cancelled at this time.
Why Britain Declared Rebellion
In 1774, the province of Massachusetts Bay was in big trouble with Britain. This was after Britain passed the Intolerable Acts. The colonists in Massachusetts formed their own government, called the Massachusetts Provincial Congress. They also started training their own soldiers, called militias. These actions were against British rule.
So, on February 9, 1775, the British Parliament declared that Massachusetts was in a "state of rebellion." This meant Britain saw the colonists' actions as a serious uprising. Parliament said that some people in Massachusetts were resisting the government's power. They also noted that other colonies were supporting Massachusetts. This declaration made the situation much worse.
One of the Intolerable Acts, the Boston Port Act, had already stopped trade in Boston. Now, with Massachusetts declared in rebellion, this trade ban was made even wider. It covered all of Massachusetts.
New England Trade Limits
The British government then focused on all of New England. The New England Restraining Act was their answer to the colonies' decision to stop buying British goods. This boycott was part of the Continental Association formed in 1774.
King George III approved this law on March 30, 1775. The law said that New England could only trade with Britain and the British West Indies. Trading with any other country was forbidden starting July 1, 1775.
Also, New England ships were not allowed to fish in the North Atlantic anymore. This part of the law made British Canadians happy. But it caused a lot of harm to New England's fishing business. This fishing ban started on July 20, 1775.
More Colonies Face Trade Restrictions
In April 1775, news reached London that more colonies had joined the boycott. These were colonies outside of New England. Because of this, a second Restraining Act was quickly passed.
This new law included the colonies of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and South Carolina. At first, New York, Delaware, North Carolina, and Georgia were not included. The British government wrongly believed these colonies were against the boycott. However, they would soon face similar restrictions.
