THE ROAD TO REVOLUTION 1700 1774
THE BOSTON TEA PARTY INTOLERABLE ACTS FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
|
Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
|
|
|
That he ordered his men to retreat
|
|
|
That he ordered his men not to fire
|
|
|
That he threw his club at the protestors
|
|
|
That he was standing behind his men, ordering them to fire
|
Detailed explanation-1: -Preston ordered the soldiers to line up in a semi-circle facing the taunting, snowball-throwing crowd. Preston stood behind them. Then someone–Private Montgomery as it turned out–yelled “Fire!” and the massacre began. (Later, several witnesses would falsely identify Preston as having given the “Fire!” order.)
Detailed explanation-2: -Preston denied that he gave an order to fire and was supported by three defense witnesses, while four witnesses for the prosecution swore that he had given the order. The massacre label stood even after a Boston jury later acquitted Captain Preston and four of the soldiers of all charges.
Detailed explanation-3: -The one testified he was within two feet of me; the other that I swore at the men for not firing at the first word. Others swore they heard me use the word “fire, ” but whether do or do not fire, they could not say; others that they heard the word fire, but could not say if it came from me.
Detailed explanation-4: -Fire!” Captain Preston is said to have yelled, “Hold your fire!” Then the British soldier was hit with a big stick. He said he heard the word, “fire, ” so fired his gun into the crowd. The street gang moved forward; the redcoats panicked and fired at unarmed people. Five Americans died; seven were wounded.
Detailed explanation-5: -More than 2, 000 British soldiers occupied the city of 16, 000 colonists and tried to enforce Britain’s tax laws, like the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts. American colonists rebelled against the taxes they found repressive, rallying around the cry, “no taxation without representation.”