Boston Massacre Essay Boston Massacre Essay
The Boston Massacre was an extremely important event in American History. Also, it is a very controversial topic. To this day , no one can really give an accurate description of the events that transpired. The Boston Massacre was not a random event at all, many actions led up to the massacre. As a result of this disaster, America was changed forever and sent on a road towards revolution. The Boston Massacre was a defining moment in American history.(1)
Many People believe that the Boston Massacre was a spur of the moment event. This is totally false. The French and Indian war put England in debt making England look for other sources of income. The king of England believed that the colonists should help to pay for the war because it took place in America. For a few months prior to the massacre, British troops had been stationed in Boston. The soldiers were in Boston to help with the collection of money to pay for duties on imported goods. Tensions were high between the townspeople and the soldiers. Colonist greatly resented the soldiers because they believed that there should not be military personal amongst them. The Bostonians took out their anger on the soldiers. In turn, the British troops were extremely unfriendly towards the people too. On many occasions, physical conflicts between the townspeople and soldiers.(2)
England tried to compensate for their debt by taxing the colonists in any way that they could. One way that the British attempted to raise money was through the Stamp and Townshend Acts. The Stamp Act taxed a great number of people and things. There was probably no one who did not have to pay out more than they would have liked because of this act. It taxed almost every single piece of paper. “Merchant owners were obliged to buy stamps for ships’ papers and legal documents. Tavern owners, often the