After watching the John Adams movie, I had a better understanding about what happened in Boston, Massachusetts in the eighteenth century that showed the crisis between British and Americans, which later led to the American Revolution. The movie was about John Adams, who was an ambitious lawyer in Boston and defended the British soldiers after the Boston Massacre. In the Boston Massacre, eight British soldiers were accused of killing five Americans. This event reflected the tension between British soldiers and Americans. The tension was mainly due to the actions taken by Britain that forced taxes on American colonists without their representation. After the war that Britain fought against France, called the Seven Years’ War, Britain enforced taxes on American colonies because British spent a lot of money on the war and wanted to recoup some of that money. Also, Parliament wanted the colonists to pay for their defense . This led to many unpleasant consequences that I saw in the movie. In my opinion, it is a very good movie that is historically accurate because it discusses the outcomes of forcing taxes that laid the foundation for conflict between Britain and America such as the Boston Massacre, the destruction of the tea ships in the Boston Harbor, the Coercive Acts, and the First Continental Congress. Also, the movie is historically accurate about describing the character of John Adams and his relationship with his wife. All these elements make me think that the movie
After analyzing the video about the Boston Massacre, what it should be called depends all on which side you took. Patriots would have took this as a massacre because, not only would it blame the British, but their people were also considered "slaughtered". Thus, to the Patriots, this would be considered a massacre. However, for the Loyalists and British, this would be considered a riot. A crowd of colonists threw snowballs, stones, oyster shells, and even wood at British soldiers. This was basically a disturbance of peace, or a riot. The soldiers had the right of defending themselves, so I do understand the reasons for shooting, but killing wasn't necessary. In the end however, in my opinion, without being biased to any sides, the Boston Massacre should be considered a riot.
After the French and Indian War, tension was increasing in the English Colonies due to over taxation laws. In March of 1770, hatred between the colonists and the British soldiers erupted into fighting in an event known as the Boston Massacre. The Boston Massacre was a significant event in the American Independence movement. The source of the conflict with the British troops and the Bostonians was the Townshend Act in 1767, three years prior to the massacre. The primary sources in this collection of documents are of different accounts of the massacre: a pamphlet of the testimony of William Wyatt, an article from the Boston Gazette and Country Journal, a sketch by Paul Revere, an account of Captain Thomas Preston, and a court case from John Adams. These documents expose the turmoil of that day from different perspectives of Bostonians and British soldiers. They also show how some colonial leaders used this event to advance the patriot cause. The account of Captain Thomas Preston said that he tried to
The American Revolution was a critical turning point in American history. Following the French and Indian War, Britain ignored its previous policy of salutary neglect and began intervening in the colonies affairs through taxes, occupation of soldiers, violation of civil liberties, all the while ignoring colonial pleas for representation in Parliament. These events led to the “shot heard ‘round the world” at the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775. America was now at war with Britain. Nevertheless, the impact of
The tension between the colonies and Britain was nothing new. There were several occasions where the colonies became greatly infuriated with the unpleasant treatment they were receiving. Prior to the year 1770, much of the outcry came from the acts passed by the British government, such as the Stamp Act, Quartering Act, and Declaratory Act (“A Timeline of the American Revolution”). Even though the colonists were infuriated, it would take something more to push them over the edge. This something would turn out to be what is now called the Boston Massacre. Although the Boston Massacre won’t go down as the deadliest massacre in American history, it will go down as one of the most pivotal turning points due to the colonists’ depiction of the event.
“We are in the very midst of the revolution, the most complete, unexpected and remarkable of any in the history of the world.” (McCullough 127) This dynamic quote was given by John Adams. The American Revolution started when Great Britain put taxes on the colonies. Feeling that these taxes were unconstitutional, the patriots started revolts like the Boston Tea Party. The American Revolution was fought from 1775 to 1783. America fought hard to win her freedom from Great Britain. This great war was fought in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and many other colonies. John Adams was vitally important during the Revolutionary War. He was at the forefront of America’s realization that she needed to be independent and he worked to accomplish this as a congressman, a great thinker and communicator, and a diplomat.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines massacre as “the act or an instance of killing a number of usually helpless or unresisting human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty” or “a cruel or wanton murder” (m-w.com). Essentially a massacre results in either the death of many people or death by cruel means. The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770, in Boston, Massachusetts and involved American colonists and British troops. The colonists, upset by recent laws enacted by the British, taunted a smaller group of British soldiers by throwing snowballs at them (Boston Massacre Historical Society). In response, the soldiers fired upon the unarmed colonists leaving five people dead and six wounded (Phelan, 131). Even
Many events happened during the period of time from 1763 through 1775 that changed American’s mindset as the country grew. Both people and events during this time affected the nation of the United States enormously. This time period changed the United States for better in it’s development as a nation. Specific people like Thomas Paine and Samuel Adams tenaciously tried to change the course of history; wars, such as the French and Indian war altered the perception of the American people. These events and people were some of the many that facilitated the colonists’ defiance against the British. Altercations they encountered turned the people of the newly formed Americas against the British aiding in their quest for independence.
The American Revolution, today, is seen as a memorable event in history. It was a war against Britain for the independence of the thirteen colonies that began in 1775. Before the American Revolution began, there was a lot of conflict between the colonists and British authorities. The British raised revenue by establishing Acts such as the Stamp Act of 1766. The colonists were against it and tried revolting against Britain, leading to the Boston Massacre in 1770 of British soldiers shoot colonists and killing a few men. The colonists also retaliated against the taxations by dressing up as Indians and throwing tea into the ocean. Parliament began establishing acts known as the intolerable acts, which led to the revolution. In The Shoemaker and the Tea Party by Alfred F. Young, the author introduces and describes the life of a shoemaker, George Robert Twelves Hewes, and the events he was a part of leading up to and after the American Revolution. He shows the different meanings of the Revolution to people according to their perspective and view on society. The Excerpt from “Accounts of George Robert Twelves Hewes as Told to James Hawkes” by James Hawkes is a secondary source of what Hewes has told Hawkes about his memories of the Boston Massacre. Michael D. Hattem, however, gives a more contemporary view on the American Revolution in his article, “The Historiography of the American Revolution.” Though the course of history, the meaning of the American Revolution and the events
With colonists throwing snowballs with shards of ice to colonists laying on the ground and losing blood. 5 colonist deaths and 6 nonfatal injuries that profoundly affected their day-to-day lives. The Boston Massacre was a fatal altercation between a mob of violent protesting colonists and a group of British soldiers protecting themselves. It occurred on the night of March 5th, 1770, a small argument broke out between a few colonists and British Private Hugh White in front of the Custom House in Boston. After a while, more colonists started to gather around creating an agitated mob. Many think that the British were at fault for firing when not given permission, and others think the colonists were at fault for harassing and mocking the
The American Revolutionary War occurred during 1775 to 1781 years, which was an army conflict between the Great Britain and the thirteen united states of America. John Adams said “The Revolution was effected before the War commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations. This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people, was the real American Revolution.” From his view, he thought that because of the designer of independence, freedom, and equality that Americans wanted, states decided to become a unit and start the American Revolutionary War. Therefore, events such as the Albany Plan of Union, Sons of Liberty, Nonimportation Agreements, and Boston Massacre presented Americans’ minds changed before the American Revolutionary War.
The Boston Massacre was said to be the event that brought the colonies closer to unite against the British Government and these conflicts between the colonists and the British army were rising because of how the British Government was trying to gain more control over the American colonies while also trying to raise the American taxes. The Massacre was used to encourage colonists to fight harder for their freedom and independence but also was known as a zero hour in the American Revolution. This point had allowed groups like the Groups like the Sons of Liberty to use it to show the corruption of British rule.
Adams argued that the soldiers shot out of an act of self-defense. The jury agreed and acquitted the soldiers. To many colonists, however, the Boston Massacre would stand as a symbol of British tyranny in the
The Boston Massacre is one of the most controversial events in American history that occurred in Boston before the American Revolution. Certainly, it has a fundamental role in the development of America as a nation, which led it to have a huge motivation for revolution. A heavy British military presence and having very high taxes in the country were some of the main reasons that made Boston citizens very irritated. Thus, there were already many disagreements and tensions between inhabitants and the British that could have led to the Massacre. In this essay, I will carefully analyze three primary sources, and compare these to the interpretation given by HBO’s John Adams. In my view, these sources can be
Henceforth, the overall rundown of the book is based off the British view of the the American Revolution and how they viewed the colonist from a retrospect in the events happening. To begin with, King George the III had been placing taxes on the colonist, which made them furious over their relationship with him. The loyalist saw these “acts” as a part of
To start with, the military aspect of the movie was accurate in its treatment of slaves, and the depicted actions of soldiers. The Patriot was correct in showing that both sides committed war atrocities. The colonists when they were shown killing surrendering British soldiers, and the British when they burned people alive in the church. In the article by Slate, it states that both the British and Americans did commit war crimes by killing those who surrendered, but there was no mention of any general locking civilians in a church and burning it. Another way The Patriot was correct, was in the way it depicted the treatment of slaves. The movie shows one slave being forcibly enlisted by his master. Later, he learns of the freedom and payment he may earn shall he continue to serve in the Continental Army. At the end of the movie it