The Stamp Act And The Boston Massacre

On the night March 5th, 1770, the Boston Massacre occurred. It took place during the enforcement of the unpopular taxation by British troops. One of the main reasons why the British troops were there was for the enforcement of taxation of the colonists, for example, The Stamp Act. These acts required Americans to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. The colonists were furious because they had no say in whether the Stamp Act should pass or not. The Boston Massacre is historically viewed as a spark that moved the colonists towards the Revolutionary War and independence from Britain. The British and Americans relations were very strained because the British had been forcing taxation laws on Americans and had been living in their

The Townshend Acts actually contained five other laws. These acts include The Revenue act of 1767, the Indemnity Act, the Commissioners of Customs Act, the Vice Admiralty Court Act, and the New York Restraining Act. The primary reason for these acts was to raise enough revenue in the colonies so the current governors and judges would have enough money to pay their salaries and to also have them keep their loyalty to Great Britain. The Townshend Acts were passed after the colonists’ objection to internal taxation (The Stamp Act). This means that the colonists objected to pay tax for goods (paper, paint, food) that were made in and shipped to the colonies. The colonists’ objection of the Stamp Act resulted in the enforcement of the Townshend

This group of colonists starts to taunt the troops. There was a group of protestors who called themselves the Patriots, were outside the gates protesting the right and occupation and rights of the British troops because of the mistreatment the colonists have experienced over the years that the troops have been there. They were also protesting the unpopular taxation laws that were being force upon the colonists. During the protest, the British Captain Thomas Preston ordered his men to fix their bayonets and to join the guards outside dealing with the protestors. The colonists reacted by throwing snowballs at the guards. This leads to Private Hugh Montgomery getting hit with a snowball. He now discharges his weapon at the crowd of protestors. While Private Montgomery was aiming at the colonists, the other guards started to fire immediately. Finally the commotion calmed down because of the fear that the colonists felt towards the British. Once the shooting came to an end, five colonists were dead and three others were injured. The victims were Crispus Attucks (an African American), Patrick Carr, Samuel Maverick, and James Caldwell. These deaths are considered to be the first fatalities in the Revolutionary