fray
before the Custom House on King street, when seven of Captain Preston's
company fired into the crowd, killing five men and wounding several
others. Two of the victims were innocent bystanders. Two were sailors
from ships lying in the harbour, and they, together with the remaining
victim, a ropemaker, had been actively engaged in the affray. One of the
sailors, a mulatto or half-breed Indian of gigantic stature, named
Crispus Attucks, had been especially conspicuous. The slaughter of these
five men secured in a moment what so many months of decorous protest had
failed to accomplish. Much more serious bloodshed was imminent when
Lieutenant-governor Hutchinson arrived upon the scene and promptly
arrested the offending soldiers. The next day there was an immense
meeting at the Old South, and Samuel Adams, at the head of a committee,
came into the council chamber at the Town House, and in the name of
three thousand freemen sternly commanded Hutchinson to remove the
soldiers from the town. Before sunset they had all been withdrawn to the
Castle. When the news reached the ears of Parliament there was some talk
of reinstating them in the town, but Colonel Barre cut short the
discussion with the pithy question, "if the officers agreed in removing
the soldiers to Castle William, what minister will dare to send them
back to Boston?"

[Sidenote: Lord North, as prime minister removes all duties except
on tea, 1770.]

Thus the so-called "Boston Massacre" wrought for the king a rebuff which
he felt perhaps even more keenly than the repeal of the Stamp Act. Not
only had his troops been peremptorily turned out of Boston, but his
policy had for the moment weakened in its hold upon Parliament. In the
summer of 1769 the assembly of Virginia adopted a very important series
of resolutions condemning the policy of Great Britain and recommending
united action on the part of the colonies in defence of their liberties.
The governor then dissolved the assembly, whereupon its members met in
convention at the Raleigh tavern and adopted a set of resolves prepared
by Washington, strictly forbidding importations from England until the
Townshend acts should be repealed. These resolves were generally adopted
by the colonies, and presently the merchants of London, finding their
trade falling off, petitioned Parliament to reconsider its policy. In
January, 1770, Lord North became prime minister. In April all the duties
were taken off, excep