Door24 History

In March 1770, British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists on the streets of Boston. Tensions had been rising for months. In 1767, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts that placed a duty on British imported glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea. Many colonists resented any tax passed by Parliament that circumvented the approval of the colonial legislatures. “No taxation without representation” became the rallying cry of Patriots who increasingly distanced themselves from British authority. When customs officials complained to Parliament of disorder and harassment in Boston, Massachusetts, Parliament reacted by sending 2,000 British soldiers into Boston to keep the peace. Rather than create order, the presence of the troops inflamed the situation. Clashes between colonists and soldiers increased. On March 5, 1770, soldier Hugh White stood guard at the Customs House on King Street. After White exchanged insults with teenager Edward Garrick, White hit Garrick with the butt of his musket. This incident attr