The Boston Massacre & American Revolution

The incident is viewed from the colonial perspective as murder by British soldiers against colonists, considered extreme by the colonists.
Despite initial tensions, the immediate aftermath lacked significant action or reaction; there was a surprising period of calm.

Response to the Boston Massacre eventually took shape with the creation of Committees of Correspondence in late 1772 (November-December).
- Purpose: A system for communication among the colonies.
- Initially organized at the local level by towns, which then expanded to colony-wide committees.
- Examples of colonies with committees:
  - Virginia
  - New York
  - New Jersey
  - Other colonies also formed similar committees to stay organized and aligned.
These committees allowed colonists to communicate strategies, such as boycotting British goods.

Introduced by the British Parliament to eliminate taxes on tea, encouraging free trade in the colonies (though rationales are not explored).
Despite reduced or eliminated taxes on tea, boycotts persisted on principle.
Resulted in the arrival of tea-laden ships in major ports, including Charleston, Savannah, and Boston.

The most famous of the tea protests, occurring in Boston, where members of the Sons of Liberty disguised as Mohawks:
- Boarded three ships loaded with tea in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea into the water.
- Despite public knowledge of the participants, royal authorities found no one willing to implicate the Sons of Liberty.
The event became a rallying point against British authority and led to backlash from the British Parliament.

Introduced as a direct response to the Boston Tea Party, these acts aimed to punish Boston and isolate it:
- Most notably, as of June 1, 1774, Boston Harbor was closed until the tea could be paid for.
- This action intended to damage Massachusetts' economy but inadvertently united other colonies in support of Boston.
Colonel Thomas Gage commanded British troops with the task of arresting members of the Massachusetts colonial legislature and key revolutionary figures (e.g., Samuel Adams and John Hancock).

Following the Coercive Acts, Thomas Jefferson suggested a day of fasting and prayer on June 1, 1774, as a show of support for Boston.
This committee also proposed a meeting of representatives from all 13 colonies to discuss grievances.
- This assembly became the First Continental Congress.

Location: Philadelphia, 12 out of 13 colonies attended the meeting (Georgia did not).
The Congress discussed grievances against British rule, asserting that England lacked the authority to govern the colonies and organized a colony-wide boycott of British goods.
The delegates agreed to meet again in the spring of 1775.

Following the First Continental Congress, King George III and Parliament viewed colonists as insurrectionists, increasing troop deployment in the colonies.
Local militias began forming as tensions mounted, particularly in Massachusetts led by General Gage.

Gage learned of Samuel Adams and John Hancock’s whereabouts in Lexington and military supplies in Concord. Troops were dispatched to arrest them and seize the supplies.
On April 18, 1775, British troops left Boston to accomplish these objectives but faced confrontation at Lexington:
- Exchange between British soldiers and local militia led to the shot that started the Revolutionary War, deemed the "shot heard 'round the world."
Following the skirmish in Lexington, the British failed to secure their objectives at Concord, resulting in heavy losses on their return to Boston as they were ambushed by local militia.
- Estimated that nearly 300 British soldiers were killed or wounded during the retreat.
- Local militias reportedly fired around 75,000 shots, resulting in roughly 300 casualties among British forces.

At the outset of the war, most colonists sought representation rather than independence; independence was a radical idea.
Samuel Seabury and Lord Dunmore are noted loyalists opposing independence:
- Samuel Seabury: Wrote pamphlets criticizing revolutionary sentiment, and engaged in a pamphlet battle with Alexander Hamilton.
- Lord Dunmore: Royal Governor of Virginia, issued a proclamation offering freedom to enslaved individuals who joined the British Army, thereby forming the Ethiopian Regiment.

All 13 colonies participated in this meeting, reconvening in Philadelphia.
The Congress began taking governmental functions, establishing the Continental Army and appointing George Washington as its commander on June 15, 1775.
The Congress also organized a navy and a postal system, laying the groundwork for a new government.

Thomas Paine's pamphlet "Common Sense" published in January 1776 called for independence, persuading many colonists to reconsider their loyalty to the crown.
By mid-1776, around one-third of colonists supported independence, one-third remained loyal to Britain, and one-third were indifferent.

Following discussions and debates in the Continental Congress, a resolution for independence was passed on July 2, 1776, and a formal document was drafted by a committee led by Thomas Jefferson.
Main elements of the Declaration:
- A statement of principles asserting the equality of all men and their unalienable rights (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness).
- A list of grievances against King George III, indicting his actions.
- Formal declaration of independence severing ties with Britain.
The Declaration was signed on July 4, 1776, with the celebration of Independence Day commencing subsequently.

The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783 to formally end the war; it recognized American independence and set boundaries for the new nation

The Battle of Saratoga (October 1777) was the turning point that led to French support.
- Demonstrated to France that the Americans could win against British forces, paving the way for a formal alliance in 1778.
The eventual surrender of British forces under Cornwallis at Yorktown in October 1781 effectively ended the conflict.

Finalized the end of the war and recognized American independence.
England agreed to remove all troops from America and established boundaries for the new nation between the Atlantic and Mississippi River.