Boston, Massachusetts leading up to the Revolutionary War
The French and Indian war had ended and the British were drowning in debt. The year was 1763, and Britain had defeated France with the aid of the colonies. Their victory, however, had been obtained at a very high cost and now they had to pay it back. Parliament decided that the colonies should help pay off the debt because they were protecting them and their land. The colonists would have been in danger had it not been for Britain their “motherland.” The first tax that they imposed on the colonists was the Sugar Act of 1764 (Ayers, Gould and Oshinsky)The tax on molasses made sugar much more costly which resulted in less sweetener for the colonies’ tea and other drinks. This begin the …show more content…
A group of angry colonists from Boston gathered in front of the Customs house and begin to protest against the taxes that had been forcefully imposed on them. According to eyewitnesses, a watchman of the Customs house was insulted by a Boston resident and he was being attacked by sticks, stones and snowballs. Since he needed aiding Captain Thomas Preston brought more men to control the angry mob. This however, only riled up the colonists even more and they attacked more violently than before. The British soldiers’ own lives were in danger and they were afraid so they shot into the large crowd (The Boston Massacre, 1770: The British Perspective). Among the crowd was Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, and James Caldwell who all died immediately (Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre). Samuel Maverick, and Patrick Carr were mortally wounded and died over the next couple days (Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre). The causalities may have been only five individuals but this event is known as the spark that begin the war. The residents of Boston were done with being pushed around and begin to search for freedom and
The French and Indian war had ended and the British were drowning in debt. The year was 1763, and Britain had defeated France with the aid of the colonies. Their victory, however, had been obtained at a very high cost and now they had to pay it back. Parliament decided that the colonies should help pay off the debt because they were protecting them and their land. The colonists would have been in danger had it not been for Britain their “motherland.” The first tax that they imposed on the colonists was the Sugar Act of 1764 (Ayers, Gould and Oshinsky)The tax on molasses made sugar much more costly which resulted in less sweetener for the colonies’ tea and other drinks. This begin the …show more content…
A group of angry colonists from Boston gathered in front of the Customs house and begin to protest against the taxes that had been forcefully imposed on them. According to eyewitnesses, a watchman of the Customs house was insulted by a Boston resident and he was being attacked by sticks, stones and snowballs. Since he needed aiding Captain Thomas Preston brought more men to control the angry mob. This however, only riled up the colonists even more and they attacked more violently than before. The British soldiers’ own lives were in danger and they were afraid so they shot into the large crowd (The Boston Massacre, 1770: The British Perspective). Among the crowd was Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, and James Caldwell who all died immediately (Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre). Samuel Maverick, and Patrick Carr were mortally wounded and died over the next couple days (Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre). The causalities may have been only five individuals but this event is known as the spark that begin the war. The residents of Boston were done with being pushed around and begin to search for freedom and