American Revolution

Type of paperResearch Paper
SubjectOther
Number of pages5

Format of citationMLA
Number of cited resources4
Type of serviceWriting from scratch

Step 1: Select a topic from the approved topics list and have it approved by me (Judy, the instructor). Required but you get Extra Credit 5 points. Step 2: Research your topic using library resources. You can click the library resources tab to find relevant information on how to do research. Step 3: Write a three page paper about your approved topic. This means 3 pages of text. Step 4: When using a source in your paper, make sure to give credit within your text to the source. If you do not understand this, then please ask me and I will explain. Step 5: Include your bibliography which is required to have 4 sources. Only one of these sources can be an internet website. Please remember that library resources do not count as internet. Even though they are electronic, they are books, articles and reports. Step 6: If you would like me to review your paper for corrections before submitting it, please send it to me by the Wednesday before it is due. I will give you corrections and then you can complete them before submitting the paper. Step 7: Submit the paper in the assignment folder. The paper must be submitted as a Microsoft Word Document. If you submit in a format that I cannot open, you will receive a zero. Please review the list of approved topics for the research assignment. Select one topic. Each topic will only be approved for one person in the class. Please note, that if you choose a person, say, Abe Lincoln, you cannot complete a 5 page biography. You must choose a specific action or legislation or something about which to write. No biographies. If you have a question, please let me know.

The Boston Massacre

One of the main proceedings that took place during the American Revolution was the Boston massacre. The massacre was an event between a crowd of colonial masters in Boston and the British soldiers in the suburbs of Massachusetts. A group of nine armed soldiers opened fire to the crowds, injuring six men as well as killing five others on 5^th March 1770 when the massacre took place. Arresting of the commander who was with the other armies took place by the next morning as the arrest relieved the city tension partially. In addition to the relieving of the tensions in the city, a different series of writings showing the shootings by the British soldiers while in a group of peaceful colonialists raised anti-British divisions in the colonies(David et al 2017). Of all the events that took place during the American Revolution, the Boston Massacre is the one that mostly raised a lot of notable incidences in the world revolutionary history.

The Boston mass murder took place in the city of Boston, which was the capital of the Massachusetts Bay Province and a major shipping point of the province. During the 1760s, the detested acts of levy by the British Parliament were mainly resisted and Boston town acted as the center for resistance. Different import tariffs were imposed to various ordinary goods that were processed and packed in industries around Britain as well as their exportation to the colony of British and this was done as Townshend Acts being placed upon the colonialists in 1768. In response, the colonialists thought that the Townshend Acts were put to hinder colonialists’ entry terming it an infringement of the charter, normal and lawful freedom required for British colonial masters in the American colony. Lord Hillsborough set a correspondence to the regal governors in America giving them instructions to disband the regal assembly if they gave their answer to the Massachusetts Rounded Letter. Despite all the efforts by Lord Hillsborough, the colonial house refused to comply.

Charles Paxton, who was the ruler customs officer in Boston, drafted to Hillsborough requesting for armed hold up since the administration had entered in the arms of the citizens the same way it was during the Stamp Declaration(Forner &Eric 2017). Later after Charles requested for military support, there came a response by Commodore Samuel Hood as he sent a fifty-gun warship named HMS Romney and it turned up in Boston anchorage in the year 1768. The Bostonians started getting angry because the Romney captain had already started being impressive to the local sailors thus resulted into riots. As a result of the riots, the civilization officials ran to Castle William seeking protection.

Massachusetts started being unbalanced which led Hillsborough instructing the General who was commandant in chief for the Northern America to propel a power that he thought was essential to Boston. As of 1768, the very primary of four British soldiers’ battalions started entering into Boston. There were two battalions gotten out from Boston in the year 1769 although the fourteenth and the twenty ninth brigades of base remained in Boston.

Later, there was eruption of inflamed anxiety, with colonial gangs seeking for soldiers to annoy and the soldiers also were on time in search of confrontations. During the night of March 5, a British fighter called Huge White stood outer the convention house around King Street as a guard duty. There was a young wigmakers apprentice called Edward Garrick who alarmed a British administrator Goldfinch telling him he had not cleared a bill owed to Garrick’s chief master. Conversely, John had debts and thus did not take the insult being anything serious. Later, after the Garrick began pushing the administrator in the chest using his handle, the officer ended up leaving his job and confronted the young boy further striking him on the head with his metallic bar. As a result, Garrick’s companion called Bartholomew Broaders began an argument with White when Garrick had started weeping painfully. The argument between White and Bartholomew attracted a larger crowd. In the crowd was a 19 years old Henry Knox who came upon the scene warning White.

The evening continued as the crowds grew larger outside the Private White becoming more boisterous. Ringing of the church bells was heard signifying a fire as it brought more persons out. There was a crowd of more than fifty and it was led by a mixed-race escapee slave called Attacks. The large crowd started flinging objects at the guard as they challenged him to dare firing his bludgeon. According to Preston’s report, he was sending off a non-commissioned representative and six classifieds of the 29^th army brigade which had attached bayonets in relieving White. Soldiers including Williams, Montgomery and McCauley were sent by Preston to clear the crowds. As told by Preston, the soldiers found their way through the crowds. As Henry the En route tried to bring down the tensions, he warned Preston asking him to take care of his men. He further alerted him that if they fired, he must die. Captain Preston’s response was that he was aware about it and thus he did not care about it. On reaching the Private White on the stairs of the customs house, the soldiers led by Preston started loading their muskets as they collected themselves arranged in a hemispherical arrangement. Preston asked the crowds to disperse as he estimated number three as well as four hundred.

The multitude continued pressing about the fighters as they yelled to them to fire as they split at as well as tossing snowballs with other tiny objects at them. There was a confined innkeeper called Richard Palmes who was bearing a cudgel asking Preston if the fighters had their firearms loaded. On response, he gave the innkeeper assurance that they were loaded and they were only going to fire after he gave his orders adding that he was ready to fire since he was in front of them(Bailyn& Bernard 2017). Later, there was an object thrown that hit Private Montgomery kicking him down as it caused him to put down his musket. The hit Montgomery discharged his weapon to the crowd although he was not directed to do so. On seeing what Montgomery had done, Palmes swung his Cudgel at him as he hit him around his arm as well as at Preston. On hitting, Palmes missed Preston’s head but hit his arm instead.

Following a pause which seemed to be of uncertain length, the soldiers started firing at the crowd. There was ragged series of shots fired instead of a disciplined soldier volley. There were three Americans including Crispus Attucks, mariner James and rope maker Samuel died during the incidence. Thereafter, the crowd went away from the customs house although they were seen gathering near the streets surrounding the customs house. Among the colonialists soldiers were the 19^th segment which was called by Preston since they were conversant with defensive mechanisms. He ordered them to stand in front of the state out to offer defense. Summoning of the Acting Governor called Thomas Hutchinson took place on the scene. The Governor was forcefully moved by the group of the American multitude as he entered the board hall of the state house. While standing from his upper circle, he managed to modestly restore array as he promised a light investigation into the shootings if the multitude accepted to disperse.

There were immediate investigations about the incidence and by early on that day, Preston with the other fighters were arrested. The Governors commission held a meeting late in the morning after the night shootings. In the meeting, Boston’s chosen men asked for the elimination of herds from the municipality to the Fortress on the Island. More so, municipality gathering was held at Faneuil Hall with aim of discussing the affair. The Council of governors got conflicted to ordering the fighters withdrawal as Hutchinson laid claims that he had no authority to order the troops out of America. When there were threats fostering further violence, the governor’s council relented and changed their position later agreeing for troop’s removal from America.

The Boston massacre contributed greatly to the American Revolution in many ways. More so, it is one of the most significant events during the American Revolution colonial sentiment against King George III as well as the British Parliamentary authority. There are arguments from such people as Howard Zinn, who argued that the city of Boston was filled with class anger. In the Boston Gazette, Howard reported that there were few people’s in power who usually promoted political projects keeping the people poor so as they could remain humble(Bemmis & Flagg 2013). According to John Adams, the basis of American sovereignty was laid on the eve of March 5^th 1770 as there was use of commemorations by Samuel Adams with other patriots. The commemorations were to get out the British rule.

There were other events such as the Boston Tea Party, which made illustrations of the bad relationships between Britain and its colonies. Even if the Boston massacre and outright revolution occurred between five years, there are observed direct connections between the massacre and the American Revolution. The Boston Massacre is widely perceived as important events that led to violent rebellion that came after.

References

Novick, David, et al. “The Boston Massacre history experience.” Proceedings of the 19th ACM International Conference on Multimodal Interaction. ACM, 2017.

Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History: Seagull Fourth Edition. Vol. 1. WW Norton & Company, 2013.

Bailyn, Bernard. The ideological origins of the American Revolution. Harvard University Press, 2017.

Bemis, Samuel Flagg. The diplomacy of the American Revolution. Read Books Ltd, 2013.