The Boston Massacre became a major turning point during the American Revolutionary War that sparked the idea for the colonists to fight for independence from Britain. The increased tensions in Boston stemmed from taxation without representation leading to the American’s boycott of British goods and the smuggling of goods. Smuggling led to the seizure of John Hancock’s ship, Liberty, which resulted in horrid riots causing the demand for increased British military soldiers. The occupation of British soldiers threatened the townspeople and subdued them for a while until finally, they were provoked into firing into a crowd of civilians. Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Crispus Attucks, and the other two who died during the massacre became martyrs
