The Boston Massacre and the Rise of Colonial Unity Against British Rule
In 1768, tensions escalated in Boston as British troops were deployed to quell rising rebellion among colonists. Rude interactions and theft by soldiers fueled animosity, culminating in the tragic Boston Massacre, where five colonists were killed. The event ignited a propaganda war led by figures like Sam Adams and Paul Revere, stoking anti-British sentiments. The 1773 Tea Act further inflamed anger over monopolistic control, leading to the Boston Tea Party. In retaliation, the Coercive Acts, known as the Intolerable Acts, were imposed, uniting colonists in their fight for rights.
The Boston Massacre and the Rise of Colonial Unity Against British Rule
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Presentation Transcript
Creating a Nation Building Colonial Unity p.136
Trouble in Boston • 1768 – Customs officials sent word back that the colonies were on the brink of a rebellion • Britain sent 2 regiments of troops to Boston to control any rebellion. • Most soldiers were rude to colonists and stole. • Colonists not happy with them there taunted the “Redcoats.” • Hatred between them grew.
The Boston Massacre • Angry town’s people gathered weapons and taunted the redcoats to fire. • One redcoat fired, which led to several more firing. • 5 colonists died.
The Word Spreads • Colonists used the event as propaganda– information designed to influence opinion. • Sam Adams put up posters describing the Boston Massacre. • Paul Revere made an engraving depicting the event. • This propaganda helped fuel anti-British feeling. • Parliament repealed all taxes except on tea.
A Crisis Over Tea • Britain passed Tea Act (1773) to save Britain East India Company. • Gave Company the right to ship tea to the colonists without paying most taxes usually placed on tea. • Allowed the company to bypass colonial merchants and sell directly to shopkeepers at a lower price. • Made tea cheaper than any other company
Colonial Demands • Colonists angry about monopoly given to the British East India Company. • Colonists argued it was another attempt to crush colonial liberty. • Boston and Philadelphia vowed to stop the B.E.I.C. ships from unloading.
Boston Tea Party • The royal governor refused to let the ships turn back and ordered them to unload. • Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty dressed up as Indians and boarded the ships at midnight. • They threw 342 chests of tea overboard into the ocean.
Intolerable Acts • Coercive Acts (1774) – harsh laws intended to punish the people of Massachusetts. • Closed Boston harbor until the tea was repaid. • Banned town meetings • Forced Boston to shelter soldiers in their homes • Other colonists sent Boston food and clothing in support. • Colonists renamed the acts the “Intolerable Acts.”
Intolerable Acts • Colonists felt these acts violated their rights as English citizens. • These included the rights to no quartering of troops in private homes and no standing army in peacetime without their consent.
