Changing History: The Townshend Acts—The End of the Civil War

1. Changing History: The Townshend Acts—The End of the Civil War By Melanie Cimini

2. The Townshend Acts How it actually happened… How it could have happened… British chancellor Charles Townshend imposed a group of acts that taxed the colonies and affected them greatly. The taxes were on material imports from Britain (i.e. paper, glass, paint). Despite the outrage and boycotts in the colonies, Parliament refused to repeal the acts. A bloody revolution commenced, in which the British won and the colonies were subdued. British chancellor Charles Townshend created a series of acts that taxed the colonies and affected them greatly. The taxes were on material imports from Britain (i.e. paper, glass, paint). Outrage and boycotts in the colonies caused Parliament to repeal the unpopular acts, except for the duty on tea.

3. The Boston Massacre How it actually happened… How it could have happened… The colonists in Boston could have kept to nonviolent protests, and made sure that they treated the soldiers respectably if not hospitably. This would have resulted in the Boston Massacre not occurring, and the events following the Massacre would have either been changed or nonexistent. But due to the cocky and violent behavior of the Bostonians, five people died, ten were wounded, and the British soldiers’ reputation was ruined forever. On the other hand, though, if the soldiers has refrained from firing on the Bostonians, the Boston Massacre might also not have happened. Though if we consider the typical behaviors of the colonists, they would have come to it eventually. Boston had begun to rebel against British taxes by 1768; Britain started to send regiments overseas to control the uneasy city. The troops were prohibited from shooting at the citizens, which did nothing to appease them. The Bostonians only came closer, and pressed harder while they mobbed. But the colonists finally went too far; at one mob, someone bumped into a soldier. This is considered an assault, and therefore the soldiers could start shooting. The soldiers fired, killing Crispus Attucks, who was succeeded by four others. Many were wounded, and the “Boston Massacre” outraged all of the colonists; they argued that the British slaughtered innocent bystanders, all for the fun of it.

4. The Boston Tea Party