British troops kill five colonists on March 5, 1770 in Boston, Massachusetts. The event often referred to as the "Boston Massacre" took place in the midst of over colonial taxation and military occupation is often considered the first bloodshed of the American Revolution and was heavily publicized to stir anti-British sentiment by Paul Revere.
The incident took place when a crowd of colonists surrounded a British sentry, throwing snowballs, ice, and sticks. Amidst the confusion, soldiers fired into the crowd without orders killing Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Samuel Maverick, and Patrick Carr. Attucks, an African/Native American, was believed to be the the first casualty.John Adams defended the British soldiers to ensure a fair trial, resulting in the acquittal of Captain Preston and six others, while two were convicted of manslaughter. The event was used as propaganda by Patriots to highlight British oppression, accelerating colonial unity and the Revolutionary War.
