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Boston Massacre Facts

Boston Massacre Facts
The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5th, 1770 when British soldiers killed five protestors outside the Customs House in Boston. The protestors were protesting the British occupation of their city sent to Boston to enforce taxation measures. The British soldiers fired into the crowd killing three people instantly. Two more later died from their wounds, while several other people suffered from non-fatal injuries. There were two trials. The first was the trial of Captain Preston, in which he was acquitted. Six soldiers were also acquitted but two men were found guilty of manslaughter. Boston remained relatively peaceful for the three years following the massacre.
Interesting Boston Massacre Facts:
The Boston Massacre occurred in the evening on March 5th, 1770 on King Street in Boston.
There was heavy military presence at the time, a result of the Townshend Act of 1767 which imposed taxes to help cover the cost of Britain's military assistance.
At the time of the Boston Massacre there were approximately 20,000 residents in Boston and 4,000 British military troops.
The day before the massacre there had been a clash between Bostonians and British troops at Gray's Ropewalk. At the incident Private Matthew Kilroy argued with Samuel Gray, one of the men to be killed at the Boston Massacre. Kilroy is later convicted of manslaughter for Gray's murder.
Just before the shooting began at the Boston Massacre, a British soldier struck a young boy with his rifle's butt for insulting a British officer. Captain Thomas Preston and eight British soldiers came to his aid. Private Montgomery was hit with a stick and fired into the crowd,
Private Montgomery's first shot killed Crispus Attucks.
Private Kilroy killed Samuel Gray with his shot.
Patrick Carr, Samuel Maverick, and James Caldwell were also killed by the British soldiers. Six more people in the crowd were injured but not killed.
The soldiers responsible for the murders were arrested but all plead not-guilty.
The funeral procession for the victims was 12,000 people long. The procession made a symbolic walk to the Liberty Tree.
Governor William Hutchison had an investigation started. Another committee led by Samuel Adams started their own investigation.
The British troops were forced to leave town. They stayed at an old fort in Boston Harbor.
Samuel Adam's cousin John Adams was appointed to be the soldier's defense, along with Josiah Quincy Jr. John Adams would later become the second President of the United States.
The prosecution included Samuel Quincy and Robert Treat Paine.
The two soldiers Montgomery and Kilroy that were found guilty of manslaughter were branded with the letter 'M' on their thumbs. They should have received the death penalty but claimed the 'benefit of clergy', and were instead found guilty of manslaughter and released.
The four civilians involved in the Boston Massacre that were arrested were found not-guilty.
The Boston Massacre is also referred to as the 'Incident on King Street', 'The Bloody Massacre in King Street', and the 'State Street Massacre'.
The five victims of the Boston Massacre are buried at Granary Burying Ground in Boston.
Propaganda followed the Boston Massacre in attempts by both sides to make each other look bad.


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