8-2 Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre was a deadly riot that occurred on March 5, 1770, on King Street in ____________.

• New York

• Boston

• Washington

• Philadelphia

The Boston Massacre began as a street brawl between American colonists and a lone British soldier, but quickly escalated to a chaotic, bloody slaughter. The conflict energized...

• anti-British sentiment and paved the way for the American Revolution.

• pro-British sentiment and paved the way for the American Revolution.

• anti-British sentiment and paved the way for the War of 1812.

Tensions ran high in Boston in early 1770. More than 2,000 British soldiers occupied the city of 16,000 colonists and tried to enforce Britain’s tax laws, like the _________ Act and ___________ Acts.

• Stamp, Townsend

• Salt, Thompson

• Spice, Tobacco

• Coffee, Townsend

American colonists rebelled against the British taxes they found repressive, rallying around the cry,...

• “we have nothing to fear but fear itself.”

• “no representation without taxation.”

• “no taxation without representation.”

On February 22 (2 weeks before the Boston Massacre), a mob of patriots attacked a known Loyalist’s store. Customs officer Ebenezer Richardson lived near the store and tried to break up the rock-pelting crowd by firing his gun through the window of his home. His gunfire...

• struck and injured an 11-year-old boy named Christopher Seider and further enraged the patriots.

• struck and killed an 30-year-old man named Samuel Adams and further enraged the patriots.

• struck and killed an 11-year-old boy named Christopher Seider and further enraged the patriots.

On the frigid, snowy evening of March 5, 1770, Private Hugh White was the only soldier guarding the King’s money stored inside the Custom House on King Street. It wasn’t long before...

• British soldiers joined him and threatened violence to the crowd of protesters.

• angry colonists joined him and tried to negotiate a peaceful end to the protest.

• British soldiers joined him and insulted the crowd of protesters and then fired at this group of unarmed men.

• angry colonists joined him and insulted him and threatened violence.

At an early point, Private Hugh White fought back against the group of people that had gathered at The Customs House and struck a colonist with his bayonet . In retaliation, the colonists...

• pelted him with snowballs, ice and stones.

• scattered and came back later with more people.

• pelted him with rocks, pieces of metal and lobsters.

• scattered except for Samuel Adams.

British Captain Thomas Preston arrived on the scene with several soldiers and took up a defensive position in front of the Custom House. Worried that...(best answer)

• bloodshed was unlikely, some colonists reportedly pleaded with the soldiers that they would leave soon and not to shoot.

• bloodshed was inevitable, some colonists reportedly pleaded with the soldiers to fire their rifles and dared them to shoot.

• bloodshed was unlikely, some colonists reportedly pleaded with the soldiers to hold their fire and not to shoot.

• bloodshed was inevitable, some colonists reportedly pleaded with the soldiers to hold their fire as others dared them to shoot.

Captain Preston later reported a colonist told him the protesters planned to...

• “carry off [Private White] from his post and probably murder him.”

• “carry off [Private White] from his post and put him on trial.”

• “carry off [Private White] from his post and send him back to England.”

• “carry off [Private White] from his post and have him apologize to the man he bayoneted.”

The violence escalated, and the colonists struck the soldiers with clubs and sticks. Reports differ of exactly what happened next, but...

• after someone supposedly said the word “fire,” soldiers fired their guns and then attacked using their bayonets.

• after someone supposedly said the word “fire,” a soldier fired his gun, although it’s unclear if the discharge was intentional.

• after someone supposedly said the word “stop,” a soldier fired anyway, it’s clear the discharge was intentional.