Dbq On The Boston Massacre

In the years leading up to the American Revolution, many events occurred that not only demonstrated the rising tensions between Britain and the colonies, but stoked the revolutionary spark in America. The Boston Massacre was one of these pivotal events, occurring on March 5, 1770 when an altercation between British soldiers and Boston rebels resulted in the death of five Boston men. There is much controversy as to which party incited the violence, but ultimately the Boston Massacre was a result of the Bostonians’ desire to break away from British control, with the British soldiers only acting in self-defense. The people of Boston wished to be free of British reign, a goal that was not possible until all ties with Britain were cut. To achieve this goal, the Bostonians purposefully escalated the situation in Boston, causing more discourse between the colonies and Britain. This is exemplified in the testimony of William Tant, a Boston citizen, who claims that the Bostonian rioters were taunting the soldiers to “Fire, fire, and be damned,” essentially asking the soldiers to fire at the rioters (Document 2). Moreover, in Captain Preston’s, the captain of the British soldiers, account of the
The people of Boston wanted to be free of British control so badly that they resorted to violence and initiated a fight with the soldiers. This caused those soldiers to fear for their lives and fire at the rioters. Some may say that the soldiers were at fault because they were the ones to fire a gun first, but they were only protecting themselves and their peers, who were being attacked by a mob. However, despite this evidence, March 5th, 1770 will forever be remembered as a massacre, not an act of self-defense, because only victors write history and the Americans were the winners of this