What event led to the closure of the Boston Harbor and punitive acts against the colonies by King George and Parliament?

The Boston Tea Party was a pivotal event in American history that directly led to the closure of Boston Harbor as well as the imposition of punitive measures known as the Coercive Acts or Intolerable Acts by King George III and the British Parliament. This act of defiance occurred on December 16, 1773, when American colonists, frustrated by British taxation without representation—especially the Tea Act that allowed the British East India Company to sell tea at a lower price while maintaining a tax—boarded three ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor.

In retaliation, the British government sought to assert its control over the colonies and punish Boston specifically for this act of rebellion. The closure of Boston Harbor, which was a significant commercial hub, aimed to cripple the colony's economy and demonstrate the consequences of defying British authority. This event galvanized colonial resistance and united the colonies against perceived tyranny, ultimately contributing to the larger American Revolution.