what led to the boston massacre

The Boston Massacre was a street fight that occurred on March 5, 1770, between a "patriot" mob and British soldiers in Boston, Massachusetts. The tensions that led to the Boston Massacre were the product of the occupation of Boston by Redcoats in 1768. Redcoats were sent to Boston to quell riots in the wake of the Townsend Duties and to protect customs officials. With 2,000 soldiers occupying a town with a population of about 16,000, friction was inevitable. The presence of British troops in the city of Boston was increasingly unwelcome. The riot began when about 50 citizens attacked a British sentinel. A British officer, Captain Thomas Preston, called in additional soldiers, and these too were attacked, so the soldiers fired into the mob, killing five civilians and wounding six others. The victims of the Boston Massacre were Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Samuel Maverick, and Patrick Carr. The event led to the rallying of Bostonians against the Crown and the evacuation of troops in Boston. They would not return until 1774. The Boston Massacre was a signal event leading to the Revolutionary War. It led directly to the Royal Governor evacuating the occupying army from the town of Boston. It would soon bring the revolution to armed rebellion throughout the colonies.