What did the Quebec Act accomplish regarding territorial boundaries?

The Quebec Act, enacted in 1774, significantly expanded the boundaries of Quebec south to the Ohio River. This was a substantial move, as it not only increased the territory governed by Quebec but also effectively extended French civil law and Catholicism into these newly acquired areas. This expansion was perceived unfavorably by the American colonists, as it encroached upon land they had aspirations to settle and develop, particularly land that was previously claimed by colonies like Virginia and Pennsylvania.

While the Quebec Act did have implications for western settlement, it did not define the borders of all thirteen colonies nor did it restrict all colonists from settling west of the Appalachians; rather, it altered the jurisdiction of Quebec and established new governance that favored French settlers. Thus, the correct answer reflects the specific territorial expansion the act accomplished in the context of colonial governance and land claims.