Essay On The Boston Massacre

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The History of the Boston Massacre Five people were murdered on the day of March 5, 1770. This tragedy was known as the Boston Massacre. In the beginning, Bostonians started throwing rocks, snowballs, and lumber at the British soldiers. Colonists were very frustrated with the British, because of the constant taxes on priced goods. The Boston Massacre was a key event that kick-started the American Revolution, as evidenced by the Boston shooting, the political outbursts between the British and the Americans, and the Massacre Trials.
Five years before the American revolution, the Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770, in which British soldiers killed five Bostonians. “As a result of constant harassment by the citizens, a squad of British …show more content…
“In an effort to demonstrate the impartiality of colonial courts, John Adams and Josiah Quincy volunteered to defend Captain Preston and his men.” (A&E 1). Even though John Adams was very patriotic, he believed everyone had the right to a fair trial no matter the circumstances. “On December 14, 1770, Killroy and Montgomery returned to the court for sentencing. They pleaded benefit of clergy. The court granted the request to Killroy and Montgomery who were branded on the thumbs and released from custody.” (Knappman 36). Many Americans were outraged by the decisions of the trials and started huge political protests which eventually lead to violence. The puzzle of who really gave the order to fire was tackled after the trials. Shortly after leaving Boston, Private Montgomery confessed to his legal advisers that he was the one who yelled fire after being knocked down by a thrown stick. In the end, who really gave the order was not a huge factor because the trial was already over and there was nothing that could be done.
The Boston Massacre was seen in many different ways in that it was a tragedy, a huge factor in starting a war with Britain, etc. There were many different reasons it kick-started the revolution including: shootings, political outbursts between the Americans and British, and massacre trials. The Boston Massacre was a crucial event in history that helped shape the world it is
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