On March 5, 1770, British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists in Boston, killing five people. Tensions between the colonists and occupying British troops had been building due to taxes and enforcement measures. The confrontation began as a street dispute and escalated when soldiers opened fire. Patriots such as Paul Revere and Samuel Adams used the incident as powerful propaganda against British rule. The event stirred anger throughout the colonies and increased calls for resistance. It is often seen as one of the key turning points on the road to the American Revolution.
