The Boston Massacre On March 5, 1770, an incident occured, leaving 5 colonists dead at the hands of British soldiers...Tommy Hitchcock The Boston Massacre On March 5, 1770, an incident occured, leaving 5 colonists dead at the hands of British soldiers... Doesn't sound too fun, does it? Imagine hearing this beefed up and injected with loads of pro-revolution propaganda. That's exactly the first thing the colonists heard about it. The Sons of Liberty were already pushing for America to break away, and this is just what they needed. The colonists of course, will respond by thinking "well, they never thought much of our rights, now they are apathetic enough to take away our lives...". On the evening of this incident, a group of young British soldiers were minding their own business, doing what they were payed to do, guarding the Customs House... when a group of young rabble started pegging them with snowballs. Well, one of the soldiers got klonked on the head with a rock that was hidden in one. When most people get hit in the head with a rock, they tend to get a bit unruly. A mob formed around, to see what all the fuss was about, and the British troops called for backup, fearing the mob was after them. Well, the mob must have thought that the backup was to take five colonists, one of which was Crispus Attucks. The next day, the words "Boston Massacre" appeared on newspapers accross the nation. 9 British soldiers were arrested, and 2 of them found guilty (with the penalty of branding). The resounding controversy that day caused forced Parliment to repeal the Townshend taxesin the end, was one of the determining factors in the decision to begin the insurrection.
