There were many different descriptions of what happened at the Boston Massacre. At this time in the Colonies there was a great deal of tension built up between the colonists and the British troops. The Stamp Act got the colonists really stirred up and then it was repealed. Tension was again stirred up by other acts of parliament for taxing America and by the appointment of a Board of Commissioners. The colonist were also upset by the fact that they had to pay, house and feed these troops. The main confrontation of the Boston Massacre seems to stem from a dispute between the colonial rope-makers and some of the soldiers. A boxing match was challenged and the soldiers lost. The soldiers went back to their barracks and then returned later for much of the same. This went on several time giving the colonists something to brag about and something for the soldiers to fume about. On March 5, 1770 this all came to a head at the Customs House on King Street in Boston.
After going over the depositions of many people in the trial of Captain Thomas Preston of the 29th Regiment I believe that Captain Preston did not give the order to fire although I believe that he had plenty of time between the first shot and the second to give th
Only after the last soldier fire did the Captain step in front of his men and push their muskets up to the sky and order a stop. I believe that the Captain was in shock as to how this could escalate from a few fist fights to several people getting killed under his command. Maybe Captain Preston was hit with a stick and could not give the command. Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson and Thomas Handaside Peck both said that Captain Thomas Preston had one of the highest characters that they had ever known. They both believe that he would not have given the order to fire.
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