The Boston Massacre Essay -- Boston Massacre Essays

On March 5, 1770 a fight broke out in the streets of Boston, Massachusetts between a patriot mob and British soldiers. Citizens attacked a squad of soldiers by throwing snowballs, stones and sticks. British Army soldiers in turn killed five civilians and injured six others. The presence of British troops had been stationed in Boston, the capital of Province of Massachusetts Bay since 17681. The British existence was increasingly unwelcome. The British troops were sent to Boston in order to protect and support the crown-appointed colonial officials attempting to enforce unpopular Parliamentary legislation. Boston, the capital of the Province of Massachusetts Bay and important shipping town, was a major center of resistance to unpopular acts of taxation by the British Parliament in the 1760s2. In 1768, the Townshend Acts were placed upon the colonists, by which a variety of common items that were manufactured in Britain and exported to the colonies were subjected to import tariffs3. The Massachusetts House of Representatives began a campaign against the Townshend Acts by sending a petition to King George III asking for the repeal of the act. The House also sent what became known as the Massachusetts Circular Letter to other colonial assemblies, asking them to join the resistance movement, and called for a boycott of merchants importing the affected goods. As a response, Lord Hillsborough, who was the leader of the office of Colonial Secretary, was forced to take action. In April 1768, Hillsborough sent a letter to the colonial governors in America instructing them to dissolve the coloni al assemblies responsible for the repeal4. When the house of colonial governors refused to comply and rescind the letter. Hillsborough then stated... ...An Account.† Accessed 05, 2001. http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/bostonmassacre/bostonmassacre.html. 14. Allison, Robert. The Boston Massacre. Beverly, MA: Applewood Books, 2006. â€Å"The Boston Massacre Trials: An Account.† Accessed 05, 2001. http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/bostonmassacre/bostonmassacre.html. 15. Allison, Robert. The Boston Massacre. Beverly, MA: Applewood Books, 2006. â€Å"The Boston Massacre Trials: An Account.† Accessed 05, 2001. http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/bostonmassacre/bostonmassacre.html. 16. Allison, Robert. The Boston Massacre. Beverly, MA: Applewood Books, 2006. â€Å"The Boston Massacre Trials: An Account.† Accessed 05, 2001. 17. Kidder, Frederic. History of the Boston Massacre. Munsell, 1870. 18. Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States. New York: HarperCollins, 1999. The Boston Massacre Essay -- Boston Massacre Essays On March 5, 1770 a fight broke out in the streets of Boston, Massachusetts between a patriot mob and British soldiers. Citizens attacked a squad of soldiers by throwing snowballs, stones and sticks. British Army soldiers in turn killed five civilians and injured six others. The presence of British troops had been stationed in Boston, the capital of Province of Massachusetts Bay since 17681. The British existence was increasingly unwelcome. The British troops were sent to Boston in order to protect and support the crown-appointed colonial officials attempting to enforce unpopular Parliamentary legislation. Boston, the capital of the Province of Massachusetts Bay and important shipping town, was a major center of resistance to unpopular acts of taxation by the British Parliament in the 1760s2. In 1768, the Townshend Acts were placed upon the colonists, by which a variety of common items that were manufactured in Britain and exported to the colonies were subjected to import tariffs3. The Massachusetts House of Representatives began a campaign against the Townshend Acts by sending a petition to King George III asking for the repeal of the act. The House also sent what became known as the Massachusetts Circular Letter to other colonial assemblies, asking them to join the resistance movement, and called for a boycott of merchants importing the affected goods. As a response, Lord Hillsborough, who was the leader of the office of Colonial Secretary, was forced to take action. In April 1768, Hillsborough sent a letter to the colonial governors in America instructing them to dissolve the coloni al assemblies responsible for the repeal4. When the house of colonial governors refused to comply and rescind the letter. Hillsborough then stated... ...An Account.† Accessed 05, 2001. http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/bostonmassacre/bostonmassacre.html. 14. Allison, Robert. The Boston Massacre. Beverly, MA: Applewood Books, 2006. â€Å"The Boston Massacre Trials: An Account.† Accessed 05, 2001. http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/bostonmassacre/bostonmassacre.html. 15. Allison, Robert. The Boston Massacre. Beverly, MA: Applewood Books, 2006. â€Å"The Boston Massacre Trials: An Account.† Accessed 05, 2001. http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/bostonmassacre/bostonmassacre.html. 16. Allison, Robert. The Boston Massacre. Beverly, MA: Applewood Books, 2006. â€Å"The Boston Massacre Trials: An Account.† Accessed 05, 2001. 17. Kidder, Frederic. History of the Boston Massacre. Munsell, 1870. 18. Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.