The Boston Massacre was a deadly confrontation on March 5, 1770, in Boston, Massachusetts, between British soldiers and a crowd of civilians. About nine British soldiers were confronted by a crowd of 300 to 400 people who verbally harassed them and threw projectiles. Amid escalating tension, one soldier fired without an order, leading the other soldiers to fire as well, killing five civilians and wounding several others. This event significantly heightened tensions between American colonists and British authorities and became a key moment leading up to the American Revolution. Key details of the Boston Massacre include:
- It occurred on King Street in Boston during the colonial era.
- British troops had been stationed in Boston since 1768 to enforce unpopular British laws.
- The confrontation started when a British sentry was harassed by civilians, and reinforcements arrived.
- The soldiers were hit by clubs, stones, and snowballs before opening fire.
- Among the dead was Crispus Attucks, a man of African and Indigenous descent considered a martyr for the Patriot cause.
- The soldiers were arrested and tried; six were acquitted, and two were convicted of manslaughter and branded on the thumb.
- The event was used by American Patriots as propaganda to rally support against British rule.
- Annual commemorations occurred until 1783; after that, it became part of the broader Independence Day celebrations.
The Boston Massacre remains a highly symbolic event in American history as an example of colonial resistance and the struggle for independence from British rule.
