The Boston Massacre: Development In American History

What follow are the events and tensions leading up to the Boston Massacre on March 5th, 1770. The soldiers and the colonists were quarreling and there were high tensions amongst them. In the days leading up to the massacre the soldiers may have plotted against the colonists of New England. There was a fight that took place at the ropemakers, which is considered to be one of the most influential encounters between the soldiers and the New Englanders. There are several different accounts of how this conflict took place. According to Captain Preston, “[o]n the [2nd] instant two of the 29th going through one Gray's ropewalk, the rope-makers insultingly asked them if they would empty a vault. This unfortunately had the desired effect by provoking

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.

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.     

On the cold and snowy night of March 5, 1770, rioters marched down King Street in Boston, breaking the usual silence. In front of the customs office, the violent rioters were met by five British soldiers and their commanding officer. They immediately began haranguing the soldiers. During the ensuing chaos, the soldiers, who had been bombarded by stones and balls of ice, were becoming anxious as they waited for commands from their superiors. However, the soldiers panicked when they heard, through the yells of the rioters, the word “Fire!”. Upon hearing that word, the soldiers opened fire on the crowd with their muskets. “Shouts and curses filled the air.” (pg. 206). Five rioters were swiftly killed.This was the infamous Boston Massacre- An event that shaped U.S. history and fed the growing flames of revolution among the British colonists in America. After the massacre, the outraged people of Boston called for a trial. Defending the soldiers was renowned lawyer and future president John Adams, who believed that everyone should be granted a fair trial. With the help of Mr. Adams, the soldiers were determined to achieve victory. Through months of thought and many struggles, they succeeded. As punishment, the soldiers were branded and sent back to England, but

On March 5 1770, a union of colonists gathered at the Customs House where they protested and harassed soldiers standing outside. These colonists were representing The Sons of Liberty, a secret organization aiming to rebel against the British Parliament. There was an abundance of tension between the colonists and Great Britain after new taxes were passed and British troops arrived in Massachusetts to enforce them. After many hours of chanting and protesting a shot was fired; the atrocious event left five men dead. The question society still ponders over 200 years later is what really happened and whose fault was it? The Boston Massacre initiated because of miscommunication; it was not a massacre but a mutual riot.

Fischer also mentions in his book the events of the Boston Massacre that took place on March 5, 1770 and its impact into the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Due to the increase of soldiers placed in Boston, colonists grew angry. This was seen as another invasion of the colonist’s liberties. They felt that it was the British rule’s way of showing a distrust

The Townshend act was proclaimed in 1767. The colonists viewed it as an abuse of power after the last acts. The act was eventually repealed but left the tax on tea. Some of the imported items that it taxed were: glass, lead, paints, paper and tea.

The Townshend Acts were meant to replace the Stamp Act, which was repealed in 1766. These new acts greatly angered the Bostonians.

The Boston Massacre was an important event in U.S. history, that lead to the American

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

During the years of 1769 to 1775, Boston was the center of the Revolution. Fights between the Bostonians and the British redcoats broke out. March 5th 1770 was the day of the Boston Massacre. A crowd surrounded the British troops and taunted them, throwing brickbats at them. Five people died and six were wounded all because there was no order in Boston at the time. Captain Preston and six soldiers were tried for murder, two of the soldiers were found guilty and the rest were let go.

The Incident on King Street is not well known in America but if one was to bring it up in Great Britain the British could talk for days. In America, “The Incident on King Street” is well known as the Boston Massacre. The Boston Massacre is a crucial event in America's early history and is a leading factor in our freedom from Great Britain. It is a leading cause for the American Revolution and made people look at British rule in a different light. According to Hiller B. Zobel, author of The Boston Massacre “... we realized that our country's freedom grew from bloodshed.” The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5th, 1770, but events lead up to an accident of this severity for months, and even years before. With rulers who ruled from thousands of miles away, it was hard to understand the needs and wants of the colonist in America. Although the main goal from the rulers in Great Britain was to collect money from the colonist, the colonist had different goals in mind.

As you may perceive the Revolutionary war is about how we got our freedom! And the boston Massacre was something that had really contributed to that. It was when the colonist had really started to realize that someone thousands and thousands miles away who never even seen their territory shouldn't rule them. They finally saw that even though he's their king, that doesn't mean that he forever owns them so decided to break free. They had started to turmoil voicing how they don't think this is right and they should have their rights and freedom. Sometimes they would protest peacefully by marching through the streets shouting and boycotting british goods.. But other times they would not. A perfect example of this is the Boston Massacre, where they

The Tea Act of 1773 was a tax on tea but, the British lowered the cost of tea significantly enough that even with the tax, British tea was cheaper than Dutch tea. Also to keep the price down, the British East India Co. got rid of the middleman in the colonies and opened up their own shops. If the colonists bought this tea, they would be accepting the fact that the British could tax without representation. On Dec. 16th 1773 the ships docked at the Boston ports. The Sons of Liberty dressed up as Indians and threw 324 chests of tea into the water. England responded to the Boston Tea Party by the Coercive Act of 1774.

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”. A defiant anti-British fever was lingering among the townspeople.