The Boston Massacre
The British had just won the French and Indian War leaving England with huge debt. Parliament passed the Stamp Act, November 1, 1765 to raise money. This was the first time the colonists were required to pay a tax directly to England. The colonists believed it violated the principle of “No taxation without representation.” Their protest led to its repeal. Then England passed the Quartering Act, June 2, 1765 that required the colonists to give quarters, food, and transportation to the British soldiers in exchange for protection from the French. The colonists did not see the French as a threat and did not think they should pay this tax.
Ships arrived in Boston Harbor October 1, 1768, and anger began mounting. Small fights broke out between soldiers and colonists. They did things to agitate each other and tension continued to grow.
On March 5, 1768 an apprentice and a British soldier got in an argument.
Captain Preston heard the commotion and came with eight soldiers to help him. A mob grew in size. King Street became crowded with angry colonists surrounding nervous soldiers. Crispus Attucks, an African American, was leading the group, calling the soldiers '' Lobsters''. One account says Attucks took hold of a bayonet of one of the soldiers and knocked him down with a '' cord stick'' in his other hand. The soldier, Montgomery, dropped his musket and there was a scuffle. Montgomery picked up his musket and aimed. Someone shouted “Fire, if you dare!” The rifle fired, and Attucks fell in the snow with a bullet in his chest. Private Killroy and five other soldiers fired into the crowd. Five people were killed and others were wounded. This became known as the King Street Massacre. Samuel Adams asked Paul Revere to do an
en graving of the "massacre". It was posted and news of the event spread quickly throughout the colonies. The publication was used for propaganda purposes. Anger mounted toward the British, resulting in the cry for war. Those who died became martyrs to the cause.
The British had just won the French and Indian War leaving England with huge debt. Parliament passed the Stamp Act, November 1, 1765 to raise money. This was the first time the colonists were required to pay a tax directly to England. The colonists believed it violated the principle of “No taxation without representation.” Their protest led to its repeal. Then England passed the Quartering Act, June 2, 1765 that required the colonists to give quarters, food, and transportation to the British soldiers in exchange for protection from the French. The colonists did not see the French as a threat and did not think they should pay this tax.
Ships arrived in Boston Harbor October 1, 1768, and anger began mounting. Small fights broke out between soldiers and colonists. They did things to agitate each other and tension continued to grow.
On March 5, 1768 an apprentice and a British soldier got in an argument.
Captain Preston heard the commotion and came with eight soldiers to help him. A mob grew in size. King Street became crowded with angry colonists surrounding nervous soldiers. Crispus Attucks, an African American, was leading the group, calling the soldiers '' Lobsters''. One account says Attucks took hold of a bayonet of one of the soldiers and knocked him down with a '' cord stick'' in his other hand. The soldier, Montgomery, dropped his musket and there was a scuffle. Montgomery picked up his musket and aimed. Someone shouted “Fire, if you dare!” The rifle fired, and Attucks fell in the snow with a bullet in his chest. Private Killroy and five other soldiers fired into the crowd. Five people were killed and others were wounded. This became known as the King Street Massacre. Samuel Adams asked Paul Revere to do an
en graving of the "massacre". It was posted and news of the event spread quickly throughout the colonies. The publication was used for propaganda purposes. Anger mounted toward the British, resulting in the cry for war. Those who died became martyrs to the cause.
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