The British had stationed troops in many colonial towns to keep order. These soldiers in bright red coats played their fifes and drums and put up their tents on Boston Common. Colonists insulted them because they resented them. One night, things got out of hand. About four hundred men had gathered in front of the Customs House. Eight British sentries were standing guard.

The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770. A group of Patriots threw snowballs and teased a British sentry. Some British troops saw this and went to protect him. Then the Patriots started making fun of the British soldiers. They threw rocks and ice at the British. The British soldiers became upset with the Patriots. Someone shouted "Fire!" and the soldiers shot into the crowd. The people who died were Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Samuel Maverick, and Patrick Carr. Three of these men died immediately and two died the next day.

Samuel Adams convinced Paul Revere to make a picture of the Boston Massacre. It wasn't accurate, but Samuel Adams wanted to use what happened in the Boston Massacre to make Colonists even angrier with the British. The Boston Massacre shows how things can get out of hand, especially when bad feelings already exist between people.

Paul Revere's Engraving of the Boston Massacre.
Image courtesy of Library of Congress.
Click here to see larger image.

Read Captain Thomas Preston's Account of the Boston Massacre.