The Boston Massacre was a struggle that took place in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 5, 1770, just before the start of the American Revolution. Late that day, a crowd of colonists gathered to shout at and bother some British troops. Boston residents were resentful of the presence of the troops in their city. As tension mounted, the soldiers suddenly fired their muskets. Five colonists were shot and killed. Crispus Attucks, a black sailor and former slave, was shot and became the first person to die in the American Revolution.

The violent incident became a rallying point for American patriots, led by Samuel Adams. Crispus Attucks's body was laid out at Faneuil (pronounced fan-yule) Hall in Boston. Patriot leaders organized a funeral procession for the five who were killed. Paul Revere produced the engraving shown here of the Boston Massacre. It was used as propaganda (something used to help or harm a cause or individual) to demand the removal of British troops from Boston. Due to the increasing tension in the city, British troops temporarily withdrew from Boston to Fort William on Castle Island. The British solders involved in the Boston Massacre were also brought to trial. Two of them were found guilty of manslaughter, punished, and discharged from the army.

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