Escalation in Boston

Tensions ran high in Boston, where British soldiers occupied the city. In 1770, a confrontation turned deadly when soldiers fired into a crowd, killing five colonists. This event became known as the Boston Massacre.

Patriot leaders used this tragedy as propaganda to stir up anti-British feeling. Paul Revere created a famous engraving that showed innocent colonists being slaughtered by a firing squad.

Copies of this image spread across the colonies, convincing many people that the British soldiers were murderous tyrants.

Key Idea

On May 10, 1773, Great Britain passed the Tea Act.

This law allowed one British company to sell tea directly to the colonies at a very low price. While the tea was cheaper, this hurt the business of colonial merchants and was seen as another attempt by Britain to control colonial trade.