Background

Fights between colonists and soldiers-and between patriot colonists and colonists loyal to Britain (loyalists)-were becoming common. To protest taxes, patriots often vandalized stores selling British goods and intimidated store merchants and their customers.

Violence

On the cold, snowy evening of March 5, 1770, Private Hugh White was the only soldier guarding the King's money stored inside the Custom House on King Street. It wasn't long before angry colonists joined him and insulted him and threatened violence.
At some point, White fought back and hit a colonist with his bayonet. In response, the colonists hit him with snowballs, ice and stones. Bells started ringing throughout the town-usually a warning of fire-sending a mass of male colonists into the streets. As the assault on White continued, he eventually fell and called for help.
Captain Thomas Preston arrived on the scene with several soldiers and took up a defensive position in front of the Custom House.
Worried that bloodshed was inevitable, some colonists reportedly begged with the soldiers to hold their fire as others dared them to shoot. Preston later reported a colonist told him the protestors planned to "carry off White from his post and probably murder him."
The violence escalated, and the colonists hit the soldiers with clubs and sticks. Reports differ of exactly what happened next, but after someone supposedly said the word "fire," a soldier fired his gun, although it's unclear if the shot was intentional.

Aftermath

Once the first shot was fired, other soldiers began to shoot their guns as well, killing five colonists-including Crispus Attucks, a local dockworker of mixed racial heritage-and wounding six.
Within hours, Captain Preston and his soldiers were arrested and jailed to await court trial.
It was American colonist, lawyer and future President of the United States John Adams who defended them.
Adams was no fan of the British but wanted Preston and his men to receive a fair trial. During Preston's trial, Adams argued that confusion that night was everywhere. People who were there gave contradictory evidence on whether Preston had ordered his men to fire on the colonists.
Preston was found not guilty.
The remaining soldiers claimed self-defense and were all found not guilty of murder.
​The Boston Massacre had a major impact on relations between Britain and the American colonists. It further incensed colonists already weary of British rule and unfair taxation and roused them to fight for independence.