Reflections on the 250th Anniversary of the Boston Massacre

The consequences of pushing people too far

"Boston Massacre" by Alonzo Chappel. Public domain

British Redcoats occupied Boston on Oct. 1, 1768, to end the civil unrest that divided the city between patriots led by The Sons of Liberty, and Tory loyalists led by Gov. Francis Bernard, Lt. Gov. Thomas Hutchinson and his brother-in-law Andrew Oliver. Siding with the patriots were the North and South Side gangs, led Samuel Swift and Ebenezer Mackintosh, respectively. Mackintosh later participated in the Boston Tea Party.

At issue were taxes, duties, and mercantile policies imposed upon the American colonists by Britain’s Parliament after the Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War in North America). Because they lacked representation in Parliament, most colonists refused to abide by these new laws and responded with civil disobedience. Merchants purchased smuggled goods, and The Sons of Liberty organized boycotts of all British imports. This created problems on both sides. John Hancock had his sloop, the “Liberty,” seized for smuggling in May 1768, and customs officials were beaten in response. Those who enforced the laws, including Hutchinson and Oliver, had their homes and offices ransacked, and their effigies burned. The chaos that ensued forced Gov. Bernard to contact London and request soldiers to help restore order. 

Growing Tension

Loyalists felt extreme pride as Englishmen and deeply resented the “ungrateful agitators” for stirring trouble. For them, obeying the king and his ministers was a small price to pay for being members of the British Empire. After the soldiers arrived, loyalists inflicted Victor’s justice upon the patriots. This included the beating of prominent lawyer James Otis Jr. Both sides organized vigilante mobs. After many months, patriots frustrated with the continued occupation, targeted soldiers with taunts and insults. In response to these hostilities aimed at them, the soldiers began acts of reprisals against all Bostonians, refusing to distinguish between the instigators and the innocent. British officers failed in their efforts to de-escalate the growing tensions on all sides.