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The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre is known as the Incident at King Street in Great Britain. There was one main reason to this massacre. First of all, the patriots opposed the British occupation in Boston, Massachusetts. The British had arrived in Boston in October 1768. They came because of the British custom officials. They had been tormented and harassed while trying to enforce the Townshend Act. The citizens and soldiers did not get along on peaceful terms. It all started when a wigmaker’s apprentice started making remarks at 2 British officers standing nearby. As a result, the 1st officer hit the boy in the side of his head with the bottom of his musket. More people started to come to the scene and they started protesting. One man went to one officer and threatened him with a cudgel.
The first shots rang out when a civilian slung a snowball at one of the British officers. Although no order to fire was given, the British shot 11 times into the raging crowd of patriotic protesters. The firing could have been unnecessary, because the soldiers had already told the protesters to disperse and to leave them alone.
3 people died on the spot. The first person shot was Samuel Gray, a rope maker and street agitator. He was fatally shot by Private Matthew Killroy. Another man who died was Crispus Attucks, a fugitive slave who had escaped from his master. He is a common hero/martyr from the Boston Massacre, and his sacrifice helped lead to the American Revolution. The third person to die was James Caldwell. James Caldwell was 17 years old when he was killed by a bullet shot in the Boston Massacre. He was a sailor under the command of Captain Thomas Morton. He was killed after Samuel Gray by the same gunfire, which resulted in 2 bullets hitting his back. Caldwell wasn't from Boston.
2 more people were shot, but they died later on. The first one was Samuel Maverick. He was also 17 years old, and he was not involved in the attack on the British Soldiers. He was accidentally shot when he was standing in from of the Customs House, where the shooting began. The 5th and final person to die from the Boston Massacre shooting was Patrick Carr. Patrick Carr died 9 days after the shooting on March 14. He was from Ireland. He was shot through his abdomen. He was going to be used by Samuel Adams to further increase anti-British sentiment in Boston, Massachusetts. 6 more people were wounded. After the shooting, the crowd went their own ways, and the soldiers and the lone sentry who had been provoked in the 1st place, left to their barracks.
After the incident, Engraver Paul Revere made a famous copper etching of this event, and it was also a key to the spark that lit up the revolution. As a result, pressurized Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson ordered that his troop should immediately retreat from Boston, to an island in Boston Harbor.
Eight soldiers, 4 civilians, and one officer were charged with murder. 6 of the soldiers charged with murder were released after James Adams, their lawyer, said that they were not guilty. The 2 remaining British soldiers were charged with manslaughter, and they had to face branding on their hands. They had a capital M on their hand as a result of the branding. They were then released.
The Boston Massacre became a patriotic holiday. The removal of the British from Boston lowered the high tensions that had erupted. The removal of the troops also showed how powerful imperial power was when it faced off against organized local resistance.
The Boston Massacre is reenacted every year on March 5th, on the actual site in front of the Old State House.
The Boston Massacre is known as the Incident at King Street in Great Britain. There was one main reason to this massacre. First of all, the patriots opposed the British occupation in Boston, Massachusetts. The British had arrived in Boston in October 1768. They came because of the British custom officials. They had been tormented and harassed while trying to enforce the Townshend Act. The citizens and soldiers did not get along on peaceful terms. It all started when a wigmaker’s apprentice started making remarks at 2 British officers standing nearby. As a result, the 1st officer hit the boy in the side of his head with the bottom of his musket. More people started to come to the scene and they started protesting. One man went to one officer and threatened him with a cudgel.
The first shots rang out when a civilian slung a snowball at one of the British officers. Although no order to fire was given, the British shot 11 times into the raging crowd of patriotic protesters. The firing could have been unnecessary, because the soldiers had already told the protesters to disperse and to leave them alone.
3 people died on the spot. The first person shot was Samuel Gray, a rope maker and street agitator. He was fatally shot by Private Matthew Killroy. Another man who died was Crispus Attucks, a fugitive slave who had escaped from his master. He is a common hero/martyr from the Boston Massacre, and his sacrifice helped lead to the American Revolution. The third person to die was James Caldwell. James Caldwell was 17 years old when he was killed by a bullet shot in the Boston Massacre. He was a sailor under the command of Captain Thomas Morton. He was killed after Samuel Gray by the same gunfire, which resulted in 2 bullets hitting his back. Caldwell wasn't from Boston.
2 more people were shot, but they died later on. The first one was Samuel Maverick. He was also 17 years old, and he was not involved in the attack on the British Soldiers. He was accidentally shot when he was standing in from of the Customs House, where the shooting began. The 5th and final person to die from the Boston Massacre shooting was Patrick Carr. Patrick Carr died 9 days after the shooting on March 14. He was from Ireland. He was shot through his abdomen. He was going to be used by Samuel Adams to further increase anti-British sentiment in Boston, Massachusetts. 6 more people were wounded. After the shooting, the crowd went their own ways, and the soldiers and the lone sentry who had been provoked in the 1st place, left to their barracks.
After the incident, Engraver Paul Revere made a famous copper etching of this event, and it was also a key to the spark that lit up the revolution. As a result, pressurized Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson ordered that his troop should immediately retreat from Boston, to an island in Boston Harbor.
Eight soldiers, 4 civilians, and one officer were charged with murder. 6 of the soldiers charged with murder were released after James Adams, their lawyer, said that they were not guilty. The 2 remaining British soldiers were charged with manslaughter, and they had to face branding on their hands. They had a capital M on their hand as a result of the branding. They were then released.
The Boston Massacre became a patriotic holiday. The removal of the British from Boston lowered the high tensions that had erupted. The removal of the troops also showed how powerful imperial power was when it faced off against organized local resistance.
The Boston Massacre is reenacted every year on March 5th, on the actual site in front of the Old State House.
Bibliography
Foner, Eric, and John A. Garraty. "Boston Massacre."Http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/boston-massacre. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2014."Boston Massacre." Boston Massacre. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.
"Boston Massacre Historical Society." Boston Massacre Historical Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.
"Boston Massacre." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.
"Boston Massacre." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Sept. 2014. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.
.
"The Still Uncertain Events That Led to the Boston Massacre." About. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2014.
"Boston Massacre Historical Society." Boston Massacre Historical Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.
"Boston Massacre." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.
"Boston Massacre." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Sept. 2014. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.
.
"The Still Uncertain Events That Led to the Boston Massacre." About. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2014.