The Boston Massacre

In 1770, British Troops fired into a mob of Americans killing five people, in what we now call the Boston Massacre.

By 1770, Americans felt a lot of animosities towards the British. The king had raised taxes and sent more troops into Boston. Tensions were high. Then not long before the massacre, a mob protested outside a loyalist’s house. When someone fired into the crowd, an 11-year-old boy died. Tensions continued to rise.

Then on March 5, 1770, an altercation started between a man and a British sentry. As it continued more and more unhappy Americans gathered, until a large mob had formed. The sentry called for reinforcements. At this point, the mob had started throwing rocks, ice, and snowballs at the British.

Confusion reigned. At some point, the British troop said they heard the command to fire, so they fired their muskets into the crowd. Five people died with six more injured. After that firing, the crowd dispersed to help the wounded.

The Governor arrived the next day to help calm down matters and arrest the British soldiers. John Adams, though not a fan of the British, felt that everyone deserved a fair trial. He served as the defense lawyer and convinced the judge to appoint a jury of non-Bostonians. It worked. They had a fair trial, that acquitted them, due to the confusion that had reigned. The British leader agreed that none of it should have happened.

Though no one received a punishment, the Boston Massacre became another reason to hate the British. Only a few years later would start the American Revolution and subsequent independence. The Boston Massacre would prove to help on this road to becoming an independent nation.