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UNIT 3: Revolution
UNIT 3: Revolution
Lesson: The Boston Massacre
Lesson: The Boston Massacre
8.15 Analyze the social, political, and economic causes of the events and groups of the American Revolution, including: The Boston Massacre, 1770.
8.15 Analyze the social, political, and economic causes of the events and groups of the American Revolution, including: The Boston Massacre, 1770.
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre
THE TOWNSHEND ACTS
THE TOWNSHEND ACTS
The Sons of Liberty led wild protests and boycotts against the Stamp Act in the colonies. Their reactions played a key role in ending the Stamp Act. The group rose again after the Townshend Acts were passed. The Townshend Acts put an extra tax on most basic colonial goods such as glass, paint, paper and tea. This time the Sons of Liberty organized a boycott of British goods that were taxed by the Townshend Acts. British trade suffered, and Britain was forced to repeal most of the Townshend Acts in 1770.
THE BOSTON MASSACRE
THE BOSTON MASSACRE
Growing protests in the colonies caused Great Britain to send even more soldiers to Boston.
In March 1770, growing tensions and conflicts between British troops and colonists over the enforcement of taxes, especially the Townshend Acts, led to an event known as the Boston Massacre.
On the night of March 5, 1770, a group of colonists gathered together to protest the taxes. The colonists began insulting and arguing with a British soldier. More soldiers arrived, and the colonists pelted them with stones, ice, and snowballs.
What occurred next is not completely clear, but it is believed that something struck one of the British officers, causing him to fire shots into the crowd in fear. Other soldiers began to fire as well. Three colonists died on the scene and two more died later. The Boston Massacre stoked the colonists anger and united them even more against the British.
The British government repealed most of the Townshend Acts in April 1770.
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