Changes

== Violence Begins ==

== Violence Begins ==

In 1770, in what became known as the "Boston Massacre,"  British troops shot and killed a colonial mob for throwing snowballs (with rocks in them) at them.  (The future President John Adams then served as the defense attorney for the British soldiers, and obtained "not guilty" (acquittal) verdicts for them because they were provoked into shooting.)

In 1770, in what became known as the "Boston Massacre,"  British troops fired upon and a colonial mob for throwing snowballs (with rocks in them) at the soldiers.  The massacre resulted in the death of 5 citizens. (The future President John Adams then served as the defense attorney for the British soldiers, and obtained "not guilty" (acquittal) verdicts for them because they were provoked into shooting.)

There was relative calm from 1770 to 1773.  But the calm was not complete, broken most notably by the Gaspee incident in 1772.  The Gaspee was a British ship which ran aground while chasing smugglers.  Citizens of Rhode Island boarded the ship and burned her, to the King’s great outrage.

There was relative calm from 1770 to 1773.  But the calm was not complete, broken most notably by the Gaspee incident in 1772.  The Gaspee was a British ship which ran aground while chasing smugglers.  Citizens of Rhode Island boarded the ship and burned her, to the King’s great outrage.