Until 1763 the British government and the colonists had peaceful relationships. The Seven Years War, known in America as the French and Indian War, was a turning point. Although Britain achieved victory and defeated France and its allies in 1763, the war left Britain with debts. British parliament decided to increase taxes in the colonies. The increase in taxes dissatisfied the colonists. They reacted to Sugar Act (1764), the Stamp Act (1765), the Townshend Duties (1767) and the Tea Act (1773). In 1765 the colonists rejected the authority of the British Parliament to tax them and the American Revolution began. The controversy over tax contributed to violence. The Boston Massacre or Incident on King Street as it is called by the British happened …show more content…
“Among the slain is Crispus Attucks, the first African American to die for his country” (Fredriksen 313). When British troops occupied Boston in 1768 the townspeople did not reacted angrily. However, they gradually got unhappy with the occupation; they “viewed the redcoats as threats to their jobs, homes, and families” (Mancall et al., 3: 56). “From the point of view of many colonists, the British soldiers were outsiders who were vile and rude and who should be kept away from their families” (56); finally, on the day of the incident they threw stones, ice, sticks and snowballs at the British soldiers. After killing the people the British soldiers were tried for murder. “The radical Whig lawyer John Adams defended them, saying that all Englishmen should have a fair trial” (Ayers et al. 136). Six of the British soldiers were acquitted while two other soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter and the occupying army left Boston. Some colonists, “led by Samuel Adams, kept the memory of the massacre alive by commemorating the date with demonstrations every year thereafter” (Mancall et al., 3:
On March 5, 1770, British soldiers shot and killed five people on King Street in Boston Massachusetts. This incident is now known as the “Boston Massacre.” The soldiers were under attack of a heckling, snowballing mob of American colonists. The colonists- “Patriots”- were protesting the British troops presence in their city. The troops were sent to Boston in 1768 to enforce unpopular taxation measures passed by British Parliament that lacked American representation.
The documents does shows that rich leaders did riled up the colonists to start the American Revolutionary War. One reason why I say this is because document B shows a letter from London posted later on the Boston Gazette Supplement shows how the british people feel about the act to anger the people in the colonies. Secondly, document C talks about how Presbyterians has riled up the colonists to go against Britain basically a group of a people riling up the colonists. Thirdly all the documents shows how people are being riled up some way by other people. This is why I think that the documents does show that rich leaders riled up the colonists to start the American Revolutionary War.
This investigation will assess the significance of the causes of the Boston Massacre in 1770. It will also connect the relationship and perspective of British Troops verses the colonists and will study the effects of the various events that led up to the Massacre. In June 1767, British Parliament permitted the Townshend Acts which taxed import items such as tea, lead, glass, paint, and paper. They also constructed a Board of Custom Commissioners for America to be positioned in Boston. After this, Boston’s citizens rioted against the import taxes by creating anti-import movements in the colonies. The British Army soldiers killed five male civilians and wounded six others. The event was heavily propagandized by commanding patriots such as Paul Revere and Samuel Adams who ignited hostility towards the British powers. These events include riots against British taxations such as
The Revolutionary War was revolutionary because of social class changes (Document 3), economical changes (Document 4), and hate against the british king increasing. (Document 1) Document 3 shows how the rich, the middle class, and the low class are playing pool, and before the Revolutionary War, the low class do not usually play games. Document 1 shows a group of people taking down a statue of King George III, to use it for bullets to shoot his troops. This shows that the Revolutionary War increased violence against the British people and their king.
The Boston Massacre was an incident that took place on March 5, 1770 where the British Army killed five male civilians as well as injuring six others. The use of propaganda at the time led by patriots spurred hostility towards the British authority. The result of the hatred was great tension among the public as well as the death of some of the participants. Following the alarming incidence, Thomas Hutchinson, the acting governor committed himself to undertaking an inquiry, which reformed on the following day and the troops withdrew to Castle Island . The soldiers and the civilians arrested there in were arrested and charged with murder. Consequently, John Adams, a defense lawyer defended them and they were acquitted. Thus, this paper focuses on the investigative role of John Adams and the ethics behind the Boston Massacre.
Do you know what happened on the night of March 5, 1770? Well, that was the night of the Boston Massacre. Five people were shot and killed by the British Redcoats. This happened because a young patriot named William Garrick was taunting a British Redcoat, Hugh White. White hit Garrick with the stock of his musket. This soon turned into full fledged fighting. Later, the Redcoats fired into a crowd of Boston natives, killing five. A year or so after this event, there was a trial for all of the Redcoats. John Adams, the future second U.S president, played an important role in the trials. Two Redcoats were charged with murder and two other Redcoats were sentenced to be executed. The two Redcoats
Beginning on March 5th of 1770, several men grouped around a sort of British redcoats and began to curse at them while throwing snowballs at their frames. This angered the soldiers, and even scared them a little bit as well. In reaction they fired their weapons and watched the patriots fall to the ground. In the description of Paul Revere’s engraving, The Bloody Massacre in King Street states, “When the shooting ended, several people were dead and more were wounded.” This engraving had been sent throughout the colonies, therefore raising awareness of the tragedy that had happened just weeks before. In particular, it made the redcoats look guilty and the colonists to be innocent. This was probably because in the engraving, the patriots were on the ground, injured and defenseless while the soldiers held their guns high, in perfect bodily conditions. Thus giving it its name, the “Boston Massacre.” This gave the colonists the idea that the British were cruel and unjust, which made them want to fight back even
The American Revolutionary War divided the country almost in half, with the loyalist and the patriots. Both sides had valid arguements for the reason of staying true to Britian or rebelling. Loyalist wanted to in every way stay with Britian because they felt as if Britian could always provide for them, but patriots wanted to break away from an oppressive government.
As a result of the American Revolutionary War, American society was altered economically, politically, and socially.
Many events in history have been called “massacres”. They often resulted in hundreds of deaths, such as the slaughter of natives that came with the colonization of the Americas. Yet one of the most famous and significant massacres in American history resulted in only a handful of deaths. On May fifth, 1775, a mob of colonists attacked a patrol of nine British soldiers, who then fired upon the mob. Five colonists were killed, and six others injured (“Boston Massacre”). Preserved in an engraving by Paul Revere, these deaths became a rallying cry of rebellion for the American colonists. The event came to be known as the Boston Massacre. The Boston Massacre was a turning point in the colonists’ rebellion against Britain. This crucial event
The Revolutionary War can be considered somewhat revolutionary for its political outcomes and for putting America on the path towards equality, yet due to discrimination against minorities, was not revolutionary in terms of societal changes. The Revolutionary War brought significant political changes to America. During the war, American “leaders” decided that they did not want to be under England’s rules anymore. Therefore, they decided to break off from the monarchy and form a new democracy. An example that America no longer wanted a part of England is in Document A. Document A shows American colonists tearing down a statue of their current king.
On the snowy night of March 5th, 1770, what is known as the Boston Massacre, occurred. A fight between British soldiers and colonial residents broke out. It was near the Customs House in Boston. British soldiers shot and killed five colonial residents. Even though this event happened two centuries ago, there are still some people that still debates is the British soldiers or the colonial mob is held responsible. It was and importance that led to the fight for
The Boston Massacre is considered by many historians to be the first battle of the Revolutionary War. The fatal incident happened on March 5 of 1770. The massacre resulted in the death of five colonists. British troops in the Massachusetts Bay Colony were there to stop demonstrations against the Townshend Acts and keep order, but instead they provoked outrage. The British soldiers and citizens brawled in streets and fought in bars. “The citizens viewed the British soldiers as potential oppressors, competitors for jobs, and a treat to social mores'; (Mahin 1). A defiant anti-British fever was lingering among the townspeople.
With anger and hatred growing in the colonists, no one expected the following event to occur, the Boston Massacre. In early colonial times, people wanted freedom and they fought for it hard. They put everything on the line, even their lives. When the colonists thought they didn't get what they deserved, they took to the streets to protest, but this time it ended up in a bloody occurrence. Most people believe that the event started with British soldiers firing into the mob, which ended up wounding many and killing five people. This raised anger and eventually led to a famous trial where John Adams took a brave patriotic stance; he defended the soldiers who took 5 of the colonist's lives. Below is a timeline event of what happened during these times, which illustrates the many reasons why the colonies were upset with England.
The Boston Massacre took place on March 5th, 1770. This historic event was caused because of an ongoing conflict between the British soldiers and the people of Boston. According to George Hewes account, “Crowds of artisans and laborers joined the elite in protesting British policies, although their differing points of view revealed the divisions within colonial society.” People were upset over the British passing the Towsend Act, which was a surplus of unpopular taxes. The people of Boston also resented the British troops, who were also looking for jobs.