What Happened On March 5th?

In the heart of Boston on March 5th, 1770, British soldiers faced ever-growing resentment from the colonists.

Stationed in the city since 1768 enforcing the unpopular Parliamentary acts, the soldiers carried out a bloody confrontation against the colonists. This is known as the Boston Massacre, which eventually paved a path for the Bill of Rights.

While the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts fueled the colonists’ resentment towards the British Parliament, the Lobster Back Riot further strained relations.

Upset with increasing tax costs, colonists physically clashed with the soldiers and called them “lobster backs” because of the red cloaks the soldiers would wear. Evidence suggests some colonists may have initiated physical aggression by throwing snowballs at first, followed by objects and taunting the soldiers.

The exact sequence of events leading to the first shot is still up for debate. Some accounts suggest a single soldier, possibly struck by a snowball or object, fired his weapon “accidentally”, which allowed for more gun shots. The colonists were outraged as five colonists lost their lives, negatively perceiving the British as a tyranny.

Crispus Attucks, the first colonist killed, was not a “simple laborer” as often portrayed and had a more complex background. Records suggest he might have been involved in earlier skirmishes with the British and may have even served in the French and Indian War.

One of the defense attorneys, John Adams, who later became the second president of the United States, argued for a fair trial despite his personal beliefs about the incident. The soldiers were ultimately acquitted, further solidifying the colonists’ sense of injustice.

The Boston Massacre, while a tragedy, allowed for the push for freedom in the American Revolution. It exposed the deep divisions between the colonies and Great Britain with the events of the Boston Tea Party 3 years later.