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The Boston Massacre Trials. In the years leading up to the American Revolution,
the British sought to establish firm control over their American colonies. ...
... "Soldiers Trial October 24 to 30, 1770: Selected Testimony." Boston Massacre Trials. ...
"The Trial of Captain Preston: Key Evidence." Boston Massacre Trials. ...
... They also enjoyed such rights as local judiciaries and trials by jury in ... The Townshend
Acts and Boston Massacre In 1767, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts ...
... The Boston Massacre occurred on Monday, March 5, 1770 and John ... From its inception,
Boston is a prime example of ... will be things such as the witch trials in the ...
... case that made Adams famous was the Boston Massacre at 1770 ... Hall, demanding that
all British should be driven out of Boston. ... Soon, it was the soldiers' trials. ...
Submitted by jashwalsh on March 8, 2006
Category: History Other
Words: 2057 | Pages: 9
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In the years leading up to the American Revolution, the British sought to establish firm control over their American colonies. In the British view, the colonies had prospered because British troops had protected Americans from the French, Spanish, and Indians. The king's chief minister proclaimed in Parliament in 1763: "Great Britain protects America; America is bound to yield obedience." Parliament then set on a course of passing laws to control trade, stop smuggling, restrict settlement beyond the Appalachian Mountains, and raise revenue from the colonies. Historically, the colonies had experienced little control or interference by the British, so they considered these laws oppressive and began to resist. Much of the resistance took place in Boston. On March 5, 1770, British soldiers fired on a mob of colonists in Boston . This incident, known as the Boston Massacre, enraged American colonists.
One target of American outrage was customs collectors, whose job was to stop smugglers and collect taxes. They sometimes conducted searches under writs of assistance. These were general warrants that allowed them to search any house for smuggled goods. When customs officials in 1768 seized John Hancock's ship on charges of smuggling wine, Boston mobs attacked them. The British government ordered two regiments of soldiers to occupy the town. About seven hundred British regulars marched with fixed bayonets into Boston. The people refused to take the troops into their homes, so units of soldiers were quartered in public buildings and warehouses .
The troops trained on Boston Common and stood guard in front of government offices, including the Customs House. The occupying army and the townspeople grew to hate each other. The soldiers, wearing distinctive red coats and armed with muskets and swords, intimidated the people with insults and threats. Boston workmen, sailors, and teenage apprentices cursed at the redcoats and challenged them to fistfights....
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