Essay On The Boston Massacre

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During the American Revolution, numerous events occurred that assisted the thirteen colonies in gaining independence. Of these events, the Boston Massacre had the biggest impact. The Boston Massacre was the single most important incident leading up to the American Revolutionary War. The Boston Massacre was the killing of five colonists by British regulars. It took place March 5, 1770. Three separate confrontations between colonists and soldiers were going on at the same time. There happened to be a great deal of tension between the British soldiers and colonists for many reasons. For example, the citizens disliked soldiers because of job competition and heavy taxes. Soldiers made very little money, plus they were charged for supplies and uniforms they were required to wear. They were forced to find other work to make ends meet. Not only did being hated by the colonists make their lives harder, but their commanders treated them very poorly. They were physically punished for even the smallest violation. Contrary to their beliefs, the soldiers’ lives were barely batter than the colonists’. The colonists started the Massacre due to their strong dislike of soldiers, who were only doing their duties. “Patriot” mobs caused the situation by throwing …show more content…

The first colonist to be shot was a man named Crispus Attucks. He was a forty-seven year old mulatto dockworker. Attucks, armed with a club, knocked a soldier, Hugh Montgomery, to the ground with his bayonet. When Montgomery was back on his feet, he ordered the soldiers to fire. One soldier put two bullets through Crispus Attucks’ chest. Soldier Matthew Killroy then shot a man named Samuel Gray in the head. James Caldwell was the last one to be shot dead at the massacre. The soldiers had prepared to fire again when Captain Preston ordered, “Stop firing! Do not fire!” Eight other colonists were wounded and two of those, Samuel Maverick and Patrick Carr, later

Essay On The Boston Massacre
970 Words | 2 Pages
First we will touch on the deposition of Theodore Bliss, a local colonist. In Mr. Bliss’s deposition he states the colonists were provoking the soldiers. The colonists were throwing snowballs and yelling aggravating words at them. According to Mr. Bliss it was not until a soldier was struck with a stick that the first fire was shot. The deposition state that the order to fire was not given by Captain Preston. After the first shot was fired Mr. Bliss thinks the captain gave the order to fire but is not sure due to the fact a lot of people were yelling at the soldiers to fire. Claims none of the colonists charged at the soldiers prior to the first shot, but that after the first shot a couple of the colonists attempted to ...
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The American Colonists Were Justified In The Revolutionary War
657 Words | 2 Pages
The Boston Massacre occurred in the evening of March 5, 1770. A crowd of people began harassing the soldiers. One event lead to another and the crowd began hurling snowballs and rocks. One of the snowballs stuck a soldier and he fired his weapon causing a series of shots toward the crowd. “...the frightened soldiers fired into the crowd.” (Doc 3). As a result of this incident, three people were killed on the scene and two were mortally wounded. The soldiers were also ordered not to fire. The colonists did not think that they should have been shot at or killed, this infuriated them. This event was said to have started the American Revolution. This leads to the British seizing power over the
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Essay On Boston Massacre
653 Words | 2 Pages
Even though no one can know for sure who attacked first, the soldiers or the colonists the colonists still fought showing it wasn’t one sided so not a massacre. The evidence that supports my claim is in John Buford’s painting (document B)you can see colonists holding clubs, cudgels, and other weapons and they are using them. This corroborates with the information given in Captain Thomas Preston’s article stated “On this a general attack was made . . . by a great number of heavy clubs and snowballs being thrown at them [the soldiers], by which all our lives were in imminent (immediate) danger,” This evidence supports my claim because although Captain Preston may have a bias against the colonists, John buford’s painting has virtually no bias considering it was painted about one hundred years after the event happened.
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691 Words | 2 Pages
Colonists began to get ready for war while the British troops occupied Boston once again. April 19, 1775 the battle between the American colonists and red coats began at Lexington Green and Concord Bridge.
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674 Words | 2 Pages
A day that was supposed to be happy turned in seconds. People were injured or killed. Family members were devastated. The Boston Marathon was supposed to be a fun and exciting day for people watching and for the runners. We shouldn’t take every moment for granted, because you never know when it might be your last day or what we might consider "normal." April 15th 2013, will always be a day remembered in history.
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Colonial Rebellion
1044 Words | 3 Pages
That day would happen on March 5th 1770. On this evening, a British guard was patrolling a custom house, some colonists began taunting the soldier and soon a crowd of angry colonists arrived. The British officer decided it would be necessary to call in more troops. Later, around eight soldiers arrived to support the guard, by this time the mob grew to about three hundred people. A colonist kicked one of the soldiers down, and the soldier fired upon the crowd. After a short pause, the other British troop fired on the colonists. Thanks to the press and art of Paul Revere, this event is now known as the Boston Massacre. The Boston Tea Party, one of the most famous events of per-revolution America. The British imposed a tax on all tea and this united the colonists in an agreement against the tax. The Sons of Liberty once again mobbed up and threatened the shop owners to not support the tax. Throughout the colonies, agents of the Tea Act were forced to resign. When this didn't seem to be enough, the Sons of Liberty devised a plan at the liberty tree in Boston. On the night of December 16th a group of men dressed as Mohawk Indians, boarded four British ships carrying tea and dumped it all into the harbor. This tea never landed and therefore this tea was never
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Boston Massacre
992 Words | 2 Pages
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.
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The Boston Massacre
1581 Words | 4 Pages
The massacre led to the death of five civilians. The first person killed in that evening was Crispus Attucks. The Boston massacre was one of the important events that “turned colonial sentiment against King George III and British acts and taxes” Santoro, Anthony. "Boston Massacre." The American Mosaic: The African American Experience. ABC-CLIO, 2016. Web. 2 Apr. 2016, from http://0-africanamerican2.abc clio.com.library.dcccd.edu
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The Boston Massacre
2709 Words | 6 Pages
The Boston Massacre was an event that only strengthened colonial America’s hatred toward the British nation. People could answer the question of whether or no the Boston Massacre was truly a massacre differently. In my mind, yes, it was a massacre, I believe this because in the dictionary it states that a massacre is, “The unnecessary, and indiscriminate killing of a large number of human beings or animals.” I would have to say five people is a large number of human beings to kill in one sitting.
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Essay On The Boston Massacre
1004 Words | 3 Pages
The Boston Massacre was a fundamental event at the beginning of the American Revolution. The massacre became part of anti-British propaganda for Boston activists and fed American fears of the English military in both the North and South. The Boston Massacre was the first “battle” in the Revolutionary War. Although it wasn’t until five years after the Boston Massacre that the Revolutionary War officially began, the Boston Massacre was a forecast of the violent storm to come.
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Effects Of The Boston Massacre
612 Words | 2 Pages
The night of March 5th in Boston, Massachusetts took place was a horrific massacre brought on by the british soldiers. The British were not happy about the Americans decision to rebel against the new changes being made for Americans. The American Colonists rebel against the British because the colonists had been denied their rights. Prior to the night of the Massacre the british had also put in place multiple new taxes on the American colonies, these changes that were established were the result of this terrible massacre.
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Was The Boston Massacre Really a Massacre?
950 Words | 2 Pages
The leader of the British, Captain Thomas Preston, gave an order to his soldiers not to fire, but his words were not clear and all the soldiers fired into the crowd. (The Coming of the American Revolution). There were five recorded deaths. One of the people that died was a man of black or Indian race named Crispus Attacks (History.com). The British troops arrived in Bosto...
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What Really Happened in the Boston Massacre?
921 Words | 2 Pages
Before the Boston Massacre even occurred, tensions were high in the city of Boston between the Bostonians and the British. At this time people were just getting over the Stamp Act and were now angered by the new taxes also known as the Townshend Duties. This new tax caused Bostonians to become more aggressive causing the British to send more soldiers to impose the laws of Parliament and to restore order among the people. The arrival of more soldiers only caused more of an uproar between the people of Boston and the red coats. Bostonians went out of their way to harass British soldiers whenever they got the chance, but on March 5, 1770 both sides acted unacceptably resulting in the Boston Massacre (84-85).
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Argumentative Essay On The Boston Massacre
751 Words | 2 Pages
The Boston Massacre was one the most controversial massacre in American history that teased the coming of the American Revolution. People were taunting a British soldier who was standing “in front of the Boston Custom House” who got very frustrated to the point where he hit somebody. The soldier got overwhelmed by people who came after he hit one of them, called help from his fellow soldiers. When Captain Preston and his soldiers arrived at the scene, people were coming from everywhere, some were trying to fight them and some were just there to watch. Then, one of the soldier shot at the people and his fellow soldiers started shooting after, which killed five people. This what ended it up being called the Boston Massacre. Some might say that the murderer were the soldiers who shot the people, but the real murderer is
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The Boston Massacre
1417 Words | 3 Pages
Throughout history, events are sparked by something, which causes emotions to rise and tensions to come to a breaking point. The Boston Massacre was no exception; America was feeling the pressure of the British and was ready to break away from the rule. However, this separation between these two parties would not come without bloodshed on both sides. The British did not feel the American had the right to separate them from under British rule, but the Americans were tired of their taxes and rules being placed upon them and wanted to succeed from their political tyrants. The Boston Massacre would be the vocal point in what would be recognized, as the Revolutionary War in American history and the first place lives would be lost for the cost of liberty. Even though the lives were lost that day, eight British soldiers were mendaciously accused of murder when it was clearly self-defense. People who are placed in a situation where their lives are threatened have the right to defend themselves. History does not have the right to accuse any one event those history may have considered the enemy guilty when they are fighting for their lives.
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Essay On The Boston Massacre