Britain 's passage of the Townshend Acts in 1767 revived tensions , and an increase in mob violence led the British to dispatch more troops to the colonies . On March 5 , 1770 , when a lone British sentry was accosted by a mob of citizens , eight of his fellow soldiers reinforced him , and the crowd around them grew to several hundred . The soldiers were struck with snowballs , ice , and stones , and in the chaos the soldiers opened fire , killing five civilians , bringing about the infamous Boston Massacre . The accused soldiers were arrested on charges of murder . When no other attorneys would come to their defense , Adams was impelled to do so despite the risk to his reputation – he believed no person should be denied the right to counsel and a fair trial . The trials were delayed so that passions could cool
Boston Massacre
Boston Massacre
John Adams