The Boston Massacre

On the evening of March 5, 1770, a crowd of colonists gathered outside the Custom House on King Street in Boston. Words were exchanged, snowballs were thrown, and then British soldiers opened fire. Five colonists were killed. In the days and weeks that followed, Patriot leaders used the event to build outrage across all thirteen colonies, helping push a divided population toward the idea of independence.

This website explores every part of that story. It begins with the causes that made Boston such a tense place, moves through the events of that night, examines how the massacre was used as propaganda, looks at the soldiers' trial, and ends with the long-term impact the massacre had on American history. Use the navigation above or the cards below to explore each topic.