communication throughout history
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BACKGROUND
Why were the British involved with American affairs?
After the French and Indian War, the British obtained France’s territories in America. In order to assert power over the colonies, as a foreign country, the British established laws in the Parliament. As a result of Britain’s tyrannical rule, the rights of the colonists diminished and the British had enough power to be able to control the colonies more efficiently. It’s obvious that the colonists were against a foreign power controlling their economic and political affairs.
Events prior to the Boston Massacre:
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The British had tried to enforce English taxation laws on Americans [The Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts]​​​
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The Stamp Act:
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The Seven Years War (French and Indian War) left the British with a large sum of debt. To flourish British finances, the British levied taxes on paper documents. The colonists found this new act unconstitutional, and many colonists engaged in violence to urge the purchase of stamps to stop.​
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Townshend Acts:
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The British levied imported goods on Americans. A Board of Customs comes with this act stationed in Boston. The Colonists reacted to this by encouraging a halt on buying foreign goods.​​
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Americans did not want the laws of another country to be put into place. The infamous quote from the colonists “No taxation without representation.”
Aftermath of the Boston Massacre:
The Boston Massacre was a turning point in American History because it enraged colonists even more. There was a rise in rebellions, including the Boston Tea Party, and these revolts spiraled into the American Revolution. Colonists used the occurrence of the massacre to fuel the use of propaganda to anger the patriots, and push for breaking away from Britain. In the effort to keep the peace, Parliament did the bare minimum and repealed taxes on British imports, excluding the tax on tea. Just three years later, the Boston Tea Party occurred, and the British sparked outrage in society after the Quartering Act, where British soldiers were able to live and be taken care of in a colonists’ home.