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1770
B
oston Massacre

American Revolution - The Boston Massacre - 1770, pre-Revolutionary incident growing out of the resentment against the British troops sent to Boston to maintain order and to enforce the Townshend Acts. The troops, constantly tormented by irresponsible gangs, finally (March 5, 1770) fired into a rioting crowd and killed five men—three on the spot, two of wounds later. The funeral of the victims was the occasion for a great patriot demonstration. The British captain, Thomas Preston, and his men were tried for murder, with Robert Treat Paine as prosecutor, John Adams and Josiah Quincy as lawyers for the defense. Preston and six of his men were acquitted; two others were found guilty of manslaughter, punished, and discharged from the army.

     If the relationship between the British soldiers and the colonists wasn’t great before March 5, 1770, it became worse after the Boston Massacre.  It all started when a group of colonists in Boston began making fun of a group of British guards.  The colonists were teasing the British guards at first, but when the colonists started throwing small objects like ice at them, the British soldiers got very mad.  They started to fire their guns, against their commander's orders. A total of 5 colonists died that day. Four colonists died instantly, and one died four days later.  The colonists were furious when they found out that the only punishment the two British soldiers received was to be brandished (or burnt), on the thumb.  This event united the colonists against the British.

 

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