british reactions to the townshend crisis in boston Flashcards
british government decision:
1767 -1768
introduced townshend duties and created the american board of customs (hq in boston), the heartland of smuggling,
created new vice admiralty court in boston, philadelphia and charleston to try smugglers
british government decision:
created secretary of state for america (hillsborough)
who dissolved assemblies who supported the massachusetts letter
british government decision:
september 1768
600 more troops deployed to boston and coastal towns to implement the quartering act
when was the boston massacre?
5th march 1770
22nd february 1770
a suspected customs informer killed an eleven year old boy during a riot after attacking a british loyalist
the sons of liberty turned the funeral into a political demonstration, 5000 bostonians attended
2nd march 1770
workers at a rope factory attacked soldiers trying to seek a job and a pitch battle ensued
william green insulted patrick walker
within 15 minutes, 40 soldiers were on the scene
who were the key people involved in the boston massacre?
edward garrick - a teenage wigmaker apprentice
lieutenant goldfinch
private white - goldfinch’s inferior
captain preston
private kilroy
private montgomery
private warren
what did garrick do?
approached goldfinch and accused him of owing money to his master
knowing he carried the receipt for the bill, goldfinch ignored the accusations
what did garrick continue to do?
tell passers by that goldfinch was cheap and would not pay his bills
who came to defend goldfinch and what did he say?
private white
said that goldfinch was a gentlemen who paid what he owed
what happened to garrick?
a musket was swung down on his head by a soldier
what did people continue to do?
taunt the solider, calling him a ‘lobster son of a bitch’
men began shouting fire and poured into the street
a crowd of 50 formed around hugh white and threw snowballs at him
where did white retreat to?
the customs house steps and loaded his rifle
what did captain preston and his privates do?
pressed through the heavy throng of colonists surrounding the customs house, with fixed bayonets but unloaded muskets
formed a semi circle around the customs house, protecting it and their own flank
what did the mob do?
pressed upon the soldiers, rapping muskets barrels with their clubs and hurling insults
emboldened by the misconception that soldiers could not shoot unless ordered by a civilian, the crowd dared them to fire
