Boston Massacre

Clash between British soldiers and American workers, 5 March 1770, in Boston, Massachusetts, that left five Americans dead. Widely publicized and propagandized by Americans such as lawyer John Adams, the event contributed to anti-British sentiment before the American Revolution.

Many people living in Boston resented British soldiers quartered there, whom they saw as invaders and competitors for work. For 18 months the highly-charged atmosphere led to minor scuffles, which reached a climax in 1770. On 5 March an angry mob threatened a lone British sentry at the customs office. His call for help brought around ten reinforcements. After a mob surrounded them, preventing their return to the guardhouse, they panicked and opened fire. Five died, including sailor and former slave Crispus Attucks. The British subsequently withdrew troops from Boston.