The Boston Massacre was a turning point in history for many reasons. First of all, it caused a temporary removal of troops. Immediately after the incident, British troops were ordered to maintain their distance from the colonists. In most cities and towns, this resulted in a temporary end to marches and patrols, but more extreme measures were required for the center of the trouble, Boston. There, British troops left the center of town and instead maintained their presence in a fort on Castle Island in Boston Harbor. These measures demonstrated the British appreciation for the seriousness of the situation.
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Another effect was that there were murder trials. Since they were anxious to keep the peace, British authorities allowed their troops to be tried by the colonists. Though it was difficult to find an attorney who would defend the British troops, John Adams reluctantly took up the case. He successfully argued that the troops had been endangered by the crowd and merely reacted out of self-defense. Though two soldiers were originally sentenced to death for firing their weapons directly into the crowd, Adams had this punishment reduced to thumb-branding, since it was a first-time offense for both. Most historians agree that the results of the trial demonstrated the colonial willingness to comply with British regulations, as long as they were allowed their own independent authority in America.
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Another effect was the fact that it was such an early outburst. As with the American reaction to the Tea Tax, Stamp Act and other controversial British attempts to tax the colonies, the Boston Massacre resulted from the British troop presence intended to enforce these regulations. The British realized how delicate the situation could be, and backed off of their insistence nearly every time. The Boston Massacre was one of the first violent manifestations of this cycle, and it made American revolutionaries realize that they may have to offer their lives for independence.
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The last major effect was the fact that they realized that they could unite. Another important effect of the Massacre was its demonstration of how quickly and universally the colonists could unite against the British. American opinion after the Massacre demonstrated a strong anti-British sentiment. When the opportunity for revolution came years later, the fathers of the nation would rely on this sentiment to build their base of support and recruit new troops. In particular, the Sons of Liberty used the Massacre as a centerpiece of their anti-British propaganda, not only in Boston but throughout the colonies. The use of standing armies, they argued, demonstrated the British intention to subjugate the colonies rather than embrace them as countrymen.
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