Episode 034: Massacre Fallout and Townshend Acts Repealed

After British Regulars kill five colonists and injure others at what becomes known as the Boston Massacre, local radicals force the government to relocate the soldiers to Castle Island, out in Boston Harbor.  The Massacre becomes an example for why standing armies should not be maintained among a free people.

For months following, both sides prepare for trials, in which John Adams, among other patriot lawyers, represents the British soldiers.  A jury acquits Captain Preston and five of the seven soldiers involved in the shooting.  The Jury finds two soldiers guilty of manslaughter and had the court brands their thumbs as punishment.

Even before word of the Massacre reaches London, Lord North begins a partial repeal of the Townshend Acts, eliminating most taxes on the colonists.  However, to make a point about Parliament's tax authority, North retains a tax on tea.

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