The Boston Massacre and its Impact on the Revolution - By Misha Drench
Senior Division - 1000 Words - Website - Process Paper- 500 Words
Senior Division - 1000 Words - Website - Process Paper- 500 Words
"The Bloody Massacre" engraved by Paul Revere, 1770
On the night of March 5, 1770, a gathering of men and boys congregated outside the Old State House in Boston Massachusetts. The assembly was a culmination of oppressive taxation of the colonies under the Townshend Acts, British brutality, and colonial propaganda. The men were specifically intent on harassing a British Sentinel stationed in front of the State House. The size of the mob grew and the young soldier requested reinforcements. Captain Thomas Preston arrived along with eight additional soldiers. Preston and his men were pelted with snow and ice as they stood in a line defiant to the riot. Gunshots rang out and the night descended into chaos. The next events that transpired would be debated for years, as five men lay dead and the answer to who ordered the soldiers to fire was unknown. Ultimately, The Boston Massacre was the sparkplug for the American Revolution. Many today recognize the colonist's side of the story, that five men were brutally gunned down without cause. This website will provide an unbiased response to what really happened that night, and how its use as propaganda was extremely effective, even today.
The unpopular Townshend acts would cause many revolts and eventually led to the Boston Massacre. The colonists were fed up with the taxation upon the colonies and after the Massacre happened, it was used as a major source of propaganda by the newspapers and famous people like Paul Revere and Samuel Adams were large players in spreading this propaganda. Even though the Massacre was truly a terrible tragedy with no one party at fault, it was masterfully spun to show the barbarism of the British occupation of the colonies. The use of propaganda following the events of the Boston Massacre directly was an example of how well-made propaganda from a seemingly small event could lead to the creation of the most powerful nation today.
So, why did the Massacre happen?