CONTINUED TENSIONS IN MASSACHUSETTS

British customs officials and merchants in Massachusetts continued to clash over the smuggling of goods into Boston harbor. In 1768 officials seized a vessel belonging to a well-known smuggler, John Hancock; in the next several days several customs officials were roughed up. As a result, two regiments of regular British soldiers were assigned to the city. Tensions increased notably in the city; many local workers became incensed when, in their off-hours, British soldiers took jobs that had previously been held by Bostonians. Soldiers were taunted on a regular basis. On March 5, 1770, the event that became known as the Boston Massacre took place. A confrontation occurred, with laborers throwing snowballs filled with rocks at the soldiers. The soldiers, acting against orders, finally shot into the crowd, killing five men and wounding eight. Sam Adams and others made much of the “massacre,” yet members of the Sons of Liberty opposed uncontrolled violence. Seven soldiers were later put on trial for the “massacre”; five were acquitted and two were branded on the thumb and then freed.