Why Was The Boston Massacre Important

On March
5, 1770, what started as an exchange of insults between a British Private and a wig-maker's
apprentice escalated into extreme violence. After Private John White struck Edward Garrick on
the side of the head with a musket, a crowd began to form around Private White, antagonizing
him. White was eventually relieved by six other privates. The crowd continued to press around
the soldiers until tensions mounted to the point of one of them firing, causing the rest to
shoot into the crowd.

was one of the most important events leading up to the
war. It was significant in that it played a huge role in turning colonial sentiment against King
George III and the authority of British Parliament. Though five years passed between the
massacre and outright revolution, John Adams would write that "the foundation of American
independence was laid" on that evening.