The Boston Massacre,March 5, 1770, Its Causes and Its Results

By Frederic Kidder

This book contains Kidder's analysis, The Boston Massacre, March 5, 1770,Its Causes and Its Results, originally published as part of History of the Boston Massacre, March 5, 1770 .

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charles River Editors
• Release date: Mar 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781625399939

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Chapter 1

The Boston Massacre,March 5, 1770, Its Causes and Its Results

The passage by parliament of the law known as the stamp act, and the attempt to carry it into effect, had raised a feeling throughout the colonies that was found to be so injurious to the trade of England as to cause its repeal in March, 1766. The news of this yielding to the popular clamor was received with joy throughout the colonies, but many of the far-seeing men, among the patriots, saw no cause for rejoicing, as the act of repeal contained a clause which to them was portentous of evil to our liberties. It claimed the absolute right of parliament to bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever. It was soon seen that the British government had determined to follow out this declaration by a practical show of force which should overawe the people; for during this autumn the garrison at the castle was reinforced, and in the following June additional forces arrived. In July, the British cabinet resolved upon new restrictions on American commerce. It was determined to raise an additional revenue by impost which would prove onerous and oppressive. The officers of the customs were to be multiplied, and the governor, judges and the revenue officers were to be paid by the crown, so as to make them entirely independent of colonial legislation and complete instruments of arbitrary power. The military forces were to be largely increased so as to completely overawe and subjugate the people, particularly in and around Boston. The knowledge of these new forms of oppression reached the prominent patriots by letters from their friends in England, with intimations that the government intended to seize some of the popular leaders here as also the writers of articles in the public papers and transport them to England for trial and punishment under the sedition act. It was not in the nature of a people who had for generations enjoyed and understood freedom of thought and expression to be cowed and frightened by these warnings of tyranny and power, and their leaders stood boldly to their former declarations, and by their speeches and writings soon rekindled the flames which the repeal of the stamp act had in a great measure allayed. The public prints were filled with articles written in the highest fervor of patriotism, of which the following by Josiah Quincy, Jr., may be taken as sounding the key note of the acts that followed.

"Blandishments will not fascinate us, nor will threats of a halter intimidate. For under God, we are determined that whatsoever, whensoever, or howsoever, we shall be called to make our exit, we will die freemen.

Well do we know that all the regalia of this world cannot dignify the death of a villain, nor diminish the ignominy, with which a slave shall quit his existence. Neither can it taint the unblemished honor of a son of freedom, though he should make his departure on the already prepared gibbet, or be dragged to the newly erected scaffold for execution. With the plaudits of his conscience he will go off the stage. A crown of joy and immortality shall be his reward. The history of his life his children shall venerate. The virtues of their sire shall excite their admiration.

This is a sample of many of the articles which were published in the patriot papers of that period; the effect was to excite and stimulate the quiet