Aftermath

The Boston Massacre was one of the most critical events in American history because it led to the American Revolutionary war, and ultimately to American Independence on July 4, 1776. The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770 because of the hatred local Patriots had toward taxation (without representation) by the British on imported goods from Britain. The firing by British soldiers at the colonists was extreme and not ordered. Unfortunately, it resulted in five deaths. However, as it was only five deaths, it really was not a massacre. It was connected with this term for propaganda purposes to rally colonists to counter the ‘evil’ British Empire. The Boston Massacre was a critical moment in turning American people against their British rulers and wanting to fight for their independence. Many historians consider the Boston Massacre as the first battle of the Revolutionary War even though the actual Revolution started five years later in 1775. This situation and other events like the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773, galvanized the revolutionary among the colonial population and it led to the start of the fight for freedom.

Most of the primary sources that we have were created in the United States. Many of the images show pro-Revolutionary attitudes and aim to justify the rebellion against the British Empire. The bias in the sources and the creators somewhat invalidate the overall accuracy of the sources and show us the limits of what we can see through primary and secondary sources.