Boston Massacre and preceding events

Background. British troops had been stationed in the Province of Massachusetts Bay since 1768 to support Crown-appointed officials and enforce unpopular legislation. Tensions were further exacerbated by the seizure of John Hancock's sloop Liberty in June 1768 and the subsequent arrival of the first of four British Army regiments in Boston in October 1768.

Killing of Christopher Seider. On February 22, 1770, 11-year-old Christopher Seider was shot and killed by British customs officer Ebenezer Richardson in Boston's North End. Seider had joined a crowd outside Richardson's house. His death and subsequent large public funeral fueled significant outrage, heightening tensions that would erupt into the Boston Massacre eleven days later.

The Boston Massacre. On the evening of March 5, 1770, Private Hugh White stood guard outside the Boston Custom House on King Street. A crowd of 300 to 400 people harassed the soldiers with verbal abuse and projectiles. In the confrontation, nine British soldiers shot several individuals in the crowd, resulting in the deaths of five men.

Aftermath and Legacy. Patriots like Samuel Adams and Paul Revere described the event as a massacre to galvanize support for independence. Captain Preston was tried in late October 1770 and acquitted. John Adams later wrote that the foundation of American independence was laid on March 5, 1770, and the event became a major grievance against the British government.