American history: The shot heard around the world
<p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="week">week</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="series">series</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="start">start</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="Revolution">Revolution</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="road">road</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="revolution">revolution</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="late">late</span> <span word="seventeen">seventeen</span> <span word="hundreds">hundreds</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="several">several</span> <span word="years">years</span>. <span word="There">There</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="protests">protests</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="policy">policy</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="taxing">taxing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="colonies">colonies</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="giving">giving</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="representation">representation</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Parliament">Parliament</span>.</p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="prevent">prevent</span> <span word="trouble">trouble</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="sent">sent</span> <span word="thousands">thousands</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Boston">Boston</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="largest">largest</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Massachusetts">Massachusetts</span>.</p><p><span word="Jayne">Jayne</span> <span word="Gordon">Gordon</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="director">director</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="education">education</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="programs">programs</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Massachusetts">Massachusetts</span> <span word="Historical">Historical</span> <span word="Society">Society</span>, <span word="explains">explains</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mood">mood</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span>.</p><p>“<span word="We">We</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="tension">tension</span>, <span word="we">we</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="there">there</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="expectation">expectation</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span>, <span word="on">on</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="sides">sides</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="happen">happen</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="nobody">nobody</span> <span word="knows">knows</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="when">when</span>.”</p><p><span word="On">On</span> <span word="March">March</span> <span word="fifth">fifth</span>, <span word="seventeen">seventeen</span> <span word="seventy">seventy</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="tension">tension</span> <span word="led">led</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="violence">violence</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="winter">winter</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="weather">weather</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="cold">cold</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="colonists">colonists</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="throwing">throwing</span> <span word="rocks">rocks</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="pieces">pieces</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ice">ice</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span> <span word="guarding">guarding</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="building">building</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="joined">joined</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="others">others</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span> <span word="became">became</span> <span word="frightened">frightened</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="fired">fired</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="guns">guns</span>.</p><p><span word="Five">Five</span> <span word="colonists">colonists</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="killed">killed</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="shooting">shooting</span> <span word="became">became</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Boston">Boston</span> <span word="Massacre">Massacre</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Massachusetts">Massachusetts</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="extremely">extremely</span> <span word="angry">angry</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="tried">tried</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="court">court</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="murder">murder</span>. <span word="Most">Most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="innocent">innocent</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="others">others</span> <span word="received">received</span> <span word="minor">minor</span> <span word="punishments">punishments</span>.</p><p><span word="Fearing">Fearing</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="violence">violence</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="Parliament">Parliament</span> <span word="removed">removed</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="taxes">taxes</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="colonists">colonists</span>. <span word="Only">Only</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tax">tax</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="tea">tea</span> <span word="remained">remained</span>.</p>
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