Boston Massacre Research Paper

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One significant event that led to the start of the American Revolution was the Boston Massacre. The Boston Massacre took place on March 5th, 1770 in Boston, Massachusetts (“Boston”). During the time of the Boston Massacre, there was a lot of tension between the colonists and Britain which, ultimately, sparked the massacre. This massacre resulted in the death of five people and the injuries of six (Kallen 204, 205). The source of this aggravation was the Townshend Acts as well as the soldiers who were forced upon the colonists. One thousand five hundred troops were sent to America because of the defiance the colonists demonstrated towards the Townshend acts and Britain as a whole. The colonists opposed taxes because they were paying off Britain’s …show more content…
The meeting-house bell was rung because of the threats and egregious behavior that was occurring on King Street. The ringing of this bell brought out a good number of Boston residents who naturally were led to King Street where a group of young men and soldiers shouted profanities at each other. The exchange of vulgar behavior later resulted in the throwing of snowballs. The soldiers had this coming due to their blatant disrespect and disregard of the town’s inhabitants. As snowballs were being thrown at soldiers, more soldiers rushed in for back up, but they went through the crowd by pushing and hitting people with their bayonets. Not only were people being pushed with bayonets, they were also attacked by bayonets. The people who were attacked had their backs to the soldiers and did not provoke them at all. During all of this chaos, Captain Preston, the officer on guard, was said to have been the person who ordered them to fire. 10-12 guns were fired that night resulting in the deaths of five people and injuries of six (Kallen 204, 205). The soldiers should have been imprisoned because they not only killed a person, but they attacked and harassed the colonists when they had nothing to defend themselves with, not only during the massacre, but on a daily basis. During the massacre, an anonymous source saw “soldiers [push] several persons with their bayonets, driving through the people [so roughly]” which caused “some snowballs to be thrown at them” (“Massacre”). Simultaneously Mr.Knox, an inhabitant who was talking to Capt. Preston, saw soldiers “[attack] people with their bayonets and that there was not the least provocation given” (“Massacre”). The people attacked had their backs toward the soldiers during this time (“Massacre”). The soldiers provoked the colonists countless times, and that is what ultimately led to the Boston Massacre. If

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