The Road to Independence

Trouble in Boston

The Boston Massacre March 5th, 1770

• Fight between British redcoats & townspeople• TOWNSPEOPLE- used weapons(sticks, shovels, clubs)

– Threw stones, snowballs, wood at a British redcoat on guard duty

– British redcoat knocked down• Confused Redcoats open fire

– Kill 5 colonists

Complete

Paul Revere’s

Engraving

Handout

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR

THE BOSTON MASSACRE?

The Word Spreads• Was it a massacre??

– NO• Colonists described the Boston Massacre as

“a slaughter of innocent Americans by bloodthirsty redcoats”• Colonists use this to their advantage to make Britain look

bad– Propaganda (information designed to influence an opinion)

• Samuel Adams hung up posters of Paul Revere’s engraving– Strengthened the anti-British feeling

Effects from the Boston Massacre

• Parliament repeals Townshend Acts, except for the tax on tea.

• The Tea Act of 1773 saved a British company from going bankrupt. – Was the ONLY company that could ship tea to the colonists,

without paying any taxes

Read the handout Boston Harbor A Teapot Last Night.

Answer This:

How do you think the British Government will respond to what happened?

The Boston Tea Party

• 3 ships carrying tea in the Boston Harbor• Samuel Adams leader of Son’s of Liberty

–Disguised as Native Americans–Dumped 324 chests of tea into the harbor = over

$700,000 America dollars

T.O.T.D.Complete the Lights, Camera, Reaction handout.