The Boston Massacre Precursors and Rising Tension

The Boston Massacre: A Rousing Event
The Boston Massacre refers to an altercation that occurred when America was a new land, and still technically a colony of the British Empire. The facts of the Boston Massacre are as follows: the parties involved were a group of British soldiers and a group of colonists or patriots. Some historians refer to this event as a “street fight” and others view it as more of violent scuffle.[footnoteRef:1] While this altercation was not a technical battle, it was definitely one of the issues that had a direct impact towards the revolutionary war, and gathering support within the colonies to fight against the stifling British presence there and ultimately lead to the Revolutionary War and the increasing sense of patriotism within the colonies.[footnoteRef:2] This patriotism was essential in securing their own independence, as it increased a sense of commitment and internal loyalty. The Boston Massacre was a manifestation of all these elements. This paper will examine how the Boston Massacre was both a manifestation of increasing ill will towards the British Empire, and a galvanizing event that led to increased patriotism and a desire for independence. [1: Dennis B Fradin, The Boston Massacre (New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2009)] [2: Dee Ready, The Boston Massacre (Mankato, Minn: Bridgestone Books, 2002), 19, 22.]
The Boston Massacre was not unexpected and the result of increasing and somewhat unbearable tensions between the American colonies and the British Empire. The people of Boston had been outspoken when it came to pushing for protests in opposition to British taxation since 1765. The people of Boston had protest against the Stamp Act (1765) and once more against the Townshend Acts (1767). “Citizens believed that Britain did not have the right to tax them because they did not elect their representatives in Parliament.  Only the Massachusetts Assembly, whose members were elected every year, had the right to levy taxes on its citizens.”[footnoteRef:3] Given this tension, it was common to have riots and various forms of protests in the area, along with sometimes aggressive attacks on tax officials.[footnoteRef:4] It’s important to remember that in the 18th century, there was more aggression and violence was more commonplace than it is today. The troops that were ultimately impacted by the Boston Massacre, had been there for around a year and half, having arrived in October of 1768. [3: JA Heritage, "Events That Led to the Boston Massacre | John Adams Historical Society," John Adams Historical Society - The Official Website, accessed May 27, 2018, http://www.john-adams-heritage.com/events-that-led-to-the-boston-massacre/.] [4: JA Heritage, "Events."]
The presence of the troops in the Autumn of 1768 were through the invitation of the Governor at the time, Governor Francis Bernard. These troops were there to hopefully protect government officials against more “mob justice” and violent protests with the intent of restoring order. By restoring order, the British also intended to continue to reinforce the collection of taxes from citizens, which was of course a hot-button issue, given the fact that they continued to lack representation. Rationally, it is not a surprise that the Boston Massacre occurred, given the extreme presence of militia that were there to enforce laws that the citizens considered unjust. Boston at that time was a town of around 16,000 people. The number of troops that arrived were around 2,000. This was a massive influx of largely unwanted soldiers that created a host of logistical issues for everyone in the town. For example, just finding a place for these soldiers to sleep was a nightmare: “The decision was made to send the troops to Castle Island; three miles away south from Boston but it was too far from where they were needed.  Bernard moved its troops to Boston renting empty warehouse and wharfs as barracks. Residents felt violated by the imposed force of the soldiers and political activists wanted them and the Townshend taxes removed.[footnoteRef:5] It’s no surprise that the presence of such large amounts of troops were unwanted and caused such a pressurized environment. These troops not only made the environment more crowded along with the unwanted political agenda that they were there to enforce, but they also were then permitted to take jobs when they were off-duty—jobs that could have gone to citizens. Hence, it is no surprise that resentment continued to grow. [5: JA Heritage, "Events."]
One of the events that took place a short time before the Boston Massacre helps to illuminate why this massacre occurred at all. In a reaction to the unfair taxes that the colonists were constantly besieged with, a collection of merchants decidedly to boycott all products that had Townsend duties attached. However, there was one particular merchant that people thought had broken this boycott: this was egregious as in order for a boycott to be effective. Mob justice prevailed again as people got aggressive with Ebenezer Richardson, and violence ensued: during the scuffle, 11-year old Christopher Seider was shot in the stomach.[footnoteRef:6] “Samuel Adams paid for his funeral and John Adams wrote: ‘My eyes never beheld such a funeral.’”[footnoteRef:7] Hence, in addition to the tremendous tensions that was festering between the colonists and the unwanted British soldiers, there was now the tragic death of a child that added fuel to this fire or hatred and resentment. [6: JA Heritage, "Events."] [7: JA Heritage, "Events."]
In conclusion, the Boston Massacre was one of the events that directly led to the American Revolution. The revolutionary war ensured that the American colonists received their much deserved independence from the British Empire, after much unwanted taxation, stifling legislation, and the indignity of many British soldiers. Just as numerous events led up to the war fought for American independence, there were many events, which led up to the Boston Massacre, an event that demonstrated the severe discontent that permeated throughout the American colonies. The Boston Massacre was a clear manifestation of the rising unrest and unhappiness.









Bibliography
Fradin, Dennis B. The Boston Massacre. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2009.
JA Heritage. "Events That Led to the Boston Massacre | John Adams Historical Society." John Adams Historical Society - The Official Website. Accessed May 27, 2018. http://www.john-adams-heritage.com/events-that-led-to-the-boston-massacre/.
Ready, Dee. The Boston Massacre. Mankato, Minn: Bridgestone Books, 2002.