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Bloody Boston: The American Revolution

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Throughout the film, there were many common ideas, incidents, and themes presented, even beyond the setting of Massachusetts. For myself, it better illustrated, and put into context, some of the reasons which would lead to the American Revolution. Prior to the 1765 Stamp Act, generations of American colonists had lived in the thirteen British colonies for more than a century and a half, with democratically elected assemblies, their own representative taxation, and (something that I would view as playing a major role in aiding a revolution) many newspapers and printed material to quickly spread “news” (“Boston, Bloody Boston: The Revolution”). Those living in the colonies during the 18th century, would largely have been born in America, so it’s …show more content…
However, prior to England trying to exert their control over what they saw as their people and their colonies, it seems as though many colonists would have still have had some respect for the native country. In fact, during the events that unfolded in the film, some colonists remained loyalists to England and were publicly shamed by the patriot rebels (such as being tarred and feathered), and it was said that about half the population in the colonies took a neutral stance during the roots that led towards revolution (“Boston, Bloody Boston: The Revolution”). I think a good number of those who were considered neutral, could have been loyalists too scared of relation by the patriots to show which side they were on, and so there was already a civil war taking place between sides. Not just a pathway to war against the …show more content…
The patriots initiate (what came off to me) as mob/street like behavior towards the British soldiers in the city, draw a crowd of onlookers who join in (psychological aspect), form a basis for a soldier to panic and shoot, and attack ensues leaving several colonists unintentionally dead; a martyr is created (Crispus Attucks), and the story spreads with a very different version as the British as the aggressors (“Boston, Bloody Boston: The Revolution”). People are naturally outraged and the troops temporarily leave. The drastic change in account of who were the actual antagonists, coupled with the elevation of one of their own to martyr status, would obviously work in the patriots’ favor and stir up even more resentment of the British. The next major British retaliation that furthers the rebels, is the tax on tea to the colonies, which isn’t really a drain to colonists, but symbolizes that they still are not in control of their own lives. The again mob like actions by the Sons of Liberty and their sabotage of merchant tea ships in Boston Harbor resulted in England wanting to use Massachusetts to set an example to the other colonies; also a mistrust of Americans was furthered by the realization that Benjamin Franklin was in a manner helping the Patriots from London and had passed on letters exposing Hutchinson as a loyalist (“Boston,

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