Boston+Massacre

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The Boston Massacre happened on March 5, 1770. It happened when a couple of boys were throwing snowballs at British soldiers. Later a crowd started to gather around them and they began throwing ice at the soldiers. Thats when the British opened fire on the colonists. Three people died at the massacre, and two died later after being wounded. After that Paul Revere painted a picture that made it look worse than it really was.

Boston Massacre painting by Paul Revere

Before it Started
In 1768 the British sent troops over to Boston to maintain control among the colonists. They enforced they enforced the Townshed Acts which gave British officers the right to search any building for any reason. This was to enforce the acts and to stop smuggling. With British troops in Boston colonists became very scared.

How it Started
It started on the night of March 5 1770. A couple of boys were throwing snowballs at British officers. Then a large crowd gathered a started throwing ice at the officers and were taunting them. Also about sixty men complained that British soldiers took their jobs and forced them to fight for the British. That's when the British opened fire on the colonists.

During the Boston Massacre
A British soldier was struck down by a club, when he got up he fired his gun. Three colonists and an African American sailor died instantly. A seventeen year old standing at the back of the crowd was struck by a ricocheting musket ball and died a few hours later. A thirty year old Irish immigrant died two weeks later.

Boston Massacre tombstone

Trial of British Soldiers
After the Boston Massacre British soldiers were arrested and scheduled for trial. The government want to give the soldiers a fair trial so they couldn't retaliate. Two soldiers were found guilty because they shot into the crowd without being threatened.

Paul Revere's Painting
After the Boston Massacre Paul Revere painted a painting of the Boston Massacre making it look like the British soldiers just opened fire into the crowd without any reason. Some copies of the painting show a man with two chest wounds and a darker face matching the description of the African American sailor who was shot at the Boston Massacre. What Paul Revere was trying to do with this picture was to widely circulate a picture of the Boston Massacre to make the colonists turn on the British.

What This Lead To
The Boston Massacre lead to the start of the Revolutionary War. This and the painting that Paul revere made made the colonists hate the British even more. The colonists who weren't there hated the British because the picture makes it look like the soldiers were shooting the colonists for fun. The people Who were there hated them because they had killed their family and friends.