From Riot to Revolution: The Boston Massacre

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The American Revolution was an unequivocal example of the ability of a nation’s people to rise and defeat an inadequate government. When a government fails to protect its inhabitants, citizens will grow uneasy and fight for their rightful cause. The British government’s rule over its colonies was erroneous and harmful to the colonists’ best interests. Best described by John Hancock, the British government’s rule caused many colonists to become despondent with their ruler. “As though they thought it not enough to violate our civil rights, they endeavored to deprive us of the enjoyment of our religious privileges; to vitiate our morals, and thereby render us deserving of destruction.” Evidently, the American Revolution was sparked by a series of damaging events in the colonies. One of the greatest upsets in the colonies, “The Boston Massacre,” was caused by growing tensions between British soldiers and American colonists in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, which resulted in the death of five colonists. When an angry mob of colonists unleashed their anger on a regiment of British troops, “The Boston Massacre, became a major milestone towards America’s fight for independence. “The Boston Massacre” was not the first incident between the majesty and the colonists and it certainly would not be the last. However, it became a symbol of American Patriotism and propaganda and led to further events that initiated the American Revolution.
What British actions enraged Bostonians to form a mob outside the Boston Customs House on the night of March 5, 1770? (Gilje) Before Britain killed five Bostonians, it tormented its colonists with exorbitant laws and acts that called for heavy taxation of everyday items. Britain’s involvement in various w...

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...n tea was enough for another outcry from the colonists. Nonetheless, “The Boston Massacre” fulfilled a major role in the steps towards independence since it was the result of tyrannical tensions between Britain and the colonists that led to additional uprisings and ultimately the American Revolution.

Works Cited

Arrison, Julie. "Boston Massacre." Ed. Ballard C. Campell. Disasters, Accidents, and Crises in American History. New York: Facts on File, 2008. N. pag. American History Online. Web. 8 Dec. 2013.
Gilje, Paul A. "Boston Massacre." Encyclopedia of American History: Revolution and New Nation, 1761 to 1812. Ed. Gary B. Nash. Revised ed. Vol. 3. New York: Facts on File, 2010. American History Online. Web. 8 Dec. 2013.
Hancock, John. "Boston Massacre Oration." Speech. "The Boston Massacre" Massachusetts, Boston. 1774. American History Online. Web. 8 Dec. 2013.

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