The Boston Massacre - Was Captain Prescott to Blame? Witnesses acounts. The Boston Massacre - American Revolution and the Boston Massacre. The town of Boston was a very uneasy city throughout the 1760's. This uneasiness quickly turned to belligerence in the early part of 1770. Tensions had been mounting from the beginning of the year with various clashes between British sympathizers and colonists.
However, in early March the tensions erupted into bloodshed. On March 5, 1770 a small group of colonists were up to their usual sport of tormenting British soldiers. By many accounts there was a great deal of taunting that eventually lead to an escalation of hostilities. A group of soldiers led by Captain Thomas Preston came to the rescue of the lone sentry. Did the soldiers fire with provocation? The only evidence historians have to try and determine Captain Preston's guilt or innocence is the testimony of the eyewitnesses.
On March 5, 1770 a small group of colonists were. Boston Massacre. Boston massacare. The Boston Massacre. "The Bloody Massacre" engraving by Paul Revere. Note that this is not an accurate depiction of the event. The Boston Massacre was a street fight that occurred on March 5, 1770, between a "patriot" mob, throwing snowballs, stones, and sticks, and a squad of British soldiers. Several colonists were killed and this led to a campaign by speech-writers to rouse the ire of the citizenry. The presence of British troops in the city of Boston was increasingly unwelcome. The riot began when about 50 citizens attacked a British sentinel. A town meeting was called demanding the removal of the British and the trial of Captain Preston and his men for murder.
The Boston Massacre was a signal event leading to the Revolutionary War. Note that the occupation of Boston by British troops in 1768 was not met by open resistance. The Boston massacare was a street fight on march. The Boston Massacre Trial of 1770. Victims of the Boston massacer. The first person who was hit. Captain Preston's account of the Boston Massacre March 5 1770 < 1751-1775. It is [a] matter of too great notoriety to need any proofs that the arrival of his Majesty's troops in Boston was extremely obnoxious to its inhabitants. They have ever used all means in their power to weaken the regiments, and to bring them into contempt by promoting and aiding desertions, and with impunity, even where there has been the clearest evidence of the fact, and by grossly and falsely propagating untruths concerning them.
On the arrival of the 64th and 65th their ardour seemingly began to abate; it being too expensive to buy off so many, and attempts of that kind rendered too dangerous from the numbers And has ever since their departure been breaking out with greater violence after their embarkation. On Monday night about 8 o'clock two soldiers were attacked and beat. But the party of the townspeople in order to carry matters to the utmost length, broke into two meeting houses and rang the alarm bells, which I supposed was for fire as usual, but was soon undeceived. Boston Massacre Historical Society. The Boston Massacre. The Boston Massacre.