Overview Of The Boston Massacre

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The American Revolution was the time the thirteen colonies fought for their independence from Britain. The revolution occurred from the aftermath of numerous events, including the Boston Massacre. The Boston Massacre was thought out as a propaganda event for colonialist, to aid for more support in the cause for the American Revolution. The tenacity for Britain to keep ahold their colonists loosened and like a rubber band, tensions within the two groups snapped. British soldiers were sent to Boston and fired upon the Boston mob, leaving five men dead after the end of the chaos. Trials took place to defend the soldiers in order to defend their rights as individuals. A fast occurrence, though, placed a scar onto the colonists to propel them to fight against Britain.

During the late 1700’s, rules and regulations were placed to subdue the colonies and raise money after the French-and-Indian war, as too Britain’s Seven-Year-War. In replace of the Stamp Act of 1765, a new act, under the financial leader, Charles Townshend, the Townshend Acts were added to place a tax upon certain imported goods. The Townshend Acts was implemented to raise revenue for the civil government. This act placed a tax onto glass, lead, painters, colors, paper, and tea imported into the colonies. These “external” taxes would raise 40,000 Euros to pay commissioners of customs. People argued toward the act for raising revenue, or used to pay royal officials in the colonies. Britain sent a seven-hundred pocket army to protect those customs, which angered the colonists. Later, the Massachusetts legislature wrote the Circular Letter to send to Britain, issuing that one cannot be taxed without direct representation. Adding on to the Townshend Acts’ mayhem was the ...

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Gilje, Paul. “Boston Massacre.” Encyclopedia of American History: Revolution and New Nation, 1761 to 1812, 2010 American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 12 Jan. 2014. (http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE52&iPin=EAHIII046&SingleRecord=True)

Gilje, Paul “Townshend Acts.” Encyclopedia of American History: Revolution and New Nation, 1761 to 1812, 2010 American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 12 Jan. 2014. (http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE52&iPin=EAHIII364&SingleRecord=True)

Preston, Thomas. “Captain Thomas Preston’s Account Of The Boston Massacre.” Captain Thomas Preston’s Account Of The Boston Massacre (2009): 1. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Jan. 2014 (http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&sid=bf56711b-f6d8-4550-899b-74f8b64aaa03%40sessionmgr4005&hid=103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=21212375)

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