What was the Boston Massacre?
The Boston Massacre is an important event in American history, which led up to the Revolutionary War. It has been thought of as one of the primary conflicts that enraged many colonists into considering rejecting Britain’s sovereignty, even though five years exist between the Boston Massacre and the official start of the war. The event refers to the 5 March 1770 conflict between colonists and British soldiers. An angry mob, mostly protesting the Townshend Acts, gathered in front of the Old State House, which contained the Royal Governor’s council chamber. Colonists were also enraged at the increasing number of soldiers flooding into the colonies, and especially the fact that many soldiers were working for extremely low prices during the day, which cut out available jobs for colony residents. Resentment between colonists and the British Army was considerable, and insults were soon traded between soldiers sent to the Old State House to protect it, and the colonists.
