Since 1765, the citizens of Boston have been protesting against British taxation. The civilians believed that the British were invalid to tax them because the citizens didn't nominate their representatives in the Parliament. They believed that the Massachusetts Assembly alone had the right to tariff taxes on its citizens. Then the citizens began going against the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act was the new tax that was forced upon the American citizens. The Stamp Act required citizens to be taxed on every piece of printed paper they used. This tax was also included on ship's papers, legal documents, newspapers, license, other publications, and even playing cards. After the that, in 1767, the citizens began going against the Townshend Acts. In 1768, a group of British troops arrived in Boston to sustain order. The citizens of Boston felt like they were being invaded by the British. The civilians of Boston had attained control of the reigns of power and stopped the soldiers from carrying out their duties. During the next eighteen months stress has been mounted between the two sides, Boston citizens and the British. .
The Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770. It was a street fight between American colonists and British troops. Late one night a mass of people gathered in front of the Customs House encountering British soldiers and their commander, Irishman Captain Thomas Preston. Assembling a half circle British soldiers were equipped with bayonets. The mass of people dared the British troops to shoot them. A civilian threw a club hitting a soldier, at one a shot was fired. After a halt of about six seconds, a round of shots were fired. Many were wounded, five civilians were shot and killed by the British soldiers. The citizens who died from the Boston Massacre were Samuel Maverick, James Coldwell, Samuel Gray, and Crispus Attucks. Attucks was the first person to be shot and killed with two bullets.
