Boston Massacre Essay -- essays research papers

The Boston Massacre was an extremely important event in American History. Also, it 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.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people believe that the Boston Massacre was a spur of the moment event. This is totally untrue. 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 (Hansen 11). Tensions were high between the townspeople and the soldiers. Colonists greatly resented the soldiers because they believed that there should not be military personnel 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 the soldiers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  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. â€Å"Merchant owners were obliged to buy stamps for ships’ papers and legal documents. Tavern owners, often the political leaders of their neighborhoods, were required to buy stamps for their licenses. Printers-the most influential group in distributing information and ideas in colonial society-had to buy stamps for their newspapers and other publications† (Brinkley 131). Townshend introduced the Quartering Act, which allowed British troops to enter any colonists house and stay there. The colonists did not have the right to refuse the soldiers either. This grea tly upset the residents of Bos... ...ere laden with tea. The disguised colonists proceeded to throw the entire tea cargo of the boats into the harbor (Hansen 166). The reason that this was done was because the colonists were tired of being taxed for items such as tea. Many did no mind being taxed for some things, but not tea. They believed that the money from the taxes was going to help England, and not back to the colonies as they thought that it should. Two years after the Boston Tea Party took place the American Revolution began.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Boston Massacre was an extremely influential event in U.S. History. It changed the complexion of our nation forever. No one was ever able to give an accurate description of what took place that night, but one thing that you can be sure of is the fact that America may have waited many years before revolting against Great Britain. The Boston Massacre should not only be remembered for the death of the five men, but also for the conflicts that brought on the shooting and for the events that it set off. The massacre was a culmination of tensions between the English and the Americans. The Boston Massacre set a fire under the colonists and drove them to freedom.