Boston Massacre

On March 5, 1770, a bloody riot known as the Boston Massacre took occurred on King Street in Boston. It started as a street skirmish between American colonists and a lone British soldier but swiftly turned into a bloodbath. The anti-British feeling was stoked by the fight, which opened the path for the American Revolution.

On June 10, 1768, British customs authorities in Boston, Massachusetts, confiscated the sailing ship HMS Liberty for alleged smuggling. There was a disturbance as a result of this, and the customs officials were forced to escape. As a result, the British army's 14th and 29th regiments were stationed in Boston to support crown-appointed authorities. The presence of these troops heightened tensions in Boston, which were already high. A British Private Hugh White was encircled by Bostonians on March 5, 1770, following an incident with a wig apprentice. maker's Seven British troops using bayonets made their way through the mob to save White.

A swarm of roughly 200 Bostonians encircled them, throwing snowballs, oyster shells, and garbage at them and daring them to shoot. Amid the chaos, British soldiers opened fire on the crowd despite not being instructed to do so. Eleven individuals were hit, three of whom died on the scene and two of whom were critically wounded. This incident inspired the moniker "Boston Massacre." Six of the eight soldiers were found not guilty, while the remaining two received reduced terms. The Boston Massacre is considered one of the major causes of the American Revolution War because it significantly turned colonial sentiment against King George III and British Parliamentary power.

Date: March 5, 1770