On this day in history, March 5th, 1770, British soldiers in Boston open fire on an unarmed group of colonists harassing a British sentry guard. Initially, one guard was being harassed by the mob but was later supported by seven guards. The guards were hit by various projectiles and hit by clubs before confusion would sweep over and one of the guards fired prompting the rest of the guards to fire. Over five colonists were killed including an African American named Crispus Attucks. Crispus Attucks was the first man killed in the massacre and is widely recognized as the first American to die in the revolution.

This event was extremely important to the foundation of our country. While many know about Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride, little know that Paul Revere played a greater role in the revolution by sketching and publishing a carving of the Boston Massacre and popularizing it for the colonists.

What is up to date about the even is whether or not the British troops were justified in opening fire on the colonists. They were being attacked by the colonists but it is unknown today whether the troops were ordered to fire or if they had fired accidentally. What is known is that the colonists did technically start the incident.

John Adams, who happens to be the second president of the United States was a defense attorney for the British soldiers who were later put on charge for the murder of the colonists. Six out of seven of the guards were acquitted which created a large amount of unrest in the colonies.

The Boston Massacre was one of the most cataclysmic events that led up to the revolution and without it the United States might not even exist. John Adams said after that “The foundation of American independence was laid.”

Cites:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Massacre

https://www.onthisday.com/