The Boston Massacre
History Daily
Airship | Noiser | Wondery
4.4 • 2.1K Ratings
🗓️ 5 March 2024
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
March 5, 1770. A street fight between British soldiers and American colonists turns into a bloodbath, escalating a conflict that will lead to the War of Independence.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. |
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| 0:06.0 | Or you can get all of History Daily, plus other fantastic history podcasts at |
| 0:10.5 | Into History. |
| 0:11.6 | com. It's the evening of March 5th, 1770 in the city of Boston in the British colony of Massachusetts. An angry crowd has gathered outside the customs house. |
| 0:33.0 | 52 year old Captain Thomas Preston pushes his way through the mob |
| 0:37.6 | with a small squad of British soldiers following behind. |
| 0:40.6 | But the sight of their guns and bayonets does nothing to calm the locals who only jeer |
| 0:46.2 | more loudly and start flinging snowballs at Captain Preston and his men. |
| 0:51.2 | Tensions between British troops and Boston's locals have been simmering for months. |
| 0:56.7 | The American colonists want more freedom to rule themselves, but their rulers in London |
| 1:01.4 | want to maintain direct control. |
| 1:04.0 | An hour ago, Captain Preston heard rumors of unrest in this part of the city, |
| 1:08.0 | and he's been ordered to diffuse the situation before it gets out at hand. |
| 1:12.0 | Captain Preston reaches the front of the crowd. |
| 1:15.0 | A single sentry stands in front of the Customs House entrance. |
| 1:19.0 | Captain Preston hurries over to him to find out what's going on. |
| 1:22.0 | Young guard visibly sighs with relief. hurries over to him to find out what's going on. |
| 1:22.6 | Young Guard visibly sighs with relief. |
| 1:25.5 | He reports that the crowd is demanding that he hand over a British officer who supposedly owes |
| 1:30.4 | money to a local tradesman. A terrified officer is sheltering inside the |
| 1:34.7 | customs house afraid for his life. Captain Preston turns and takes in the |
... |
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