May 20th, 1774

The Massachusetts Government Act was passed by the Parliament of Great Britain and became a law on May 20, 1774. The act is one of the Intolerable Acts, designed to Put an end and restore order in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. In the beginning of the Boston Tea Party, Parliament launched a legislative offensive against Massachusetts to control its mischievous behavior. British officials realized part of their inability to control the colony was rooted in the highly independent nature of local government there.