The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines massacre as "the act or killing of a number of usually helpless or incapable human beings." not resisting in circumstances of atrocity or cruelty. » or “cruel or wanton murder” (mw.com). Essentially, a massacre results in either the death of many people or death by cruel means. The Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770, in Boston, Massachusetts, and involved American colonists and British troops. The colonists, upset by recent laws passed by the British, taunted a small group of British soldiers by throwing snowballs at them (Boston Massacre Historical Society). In response, the soldiers fired on the unarmed settlers, killing five and wounding six (Phelan, 131). Even though the Boston event of March 5, 1770, in which blood was shed, has been called the Boston Massacre, the actions that took place that day do not constitute a massacre. Given that only five people were killed and six injured and there was no evidence of cruelty, the name Boston Massacre was likely a propaganda ploy by Samuel Adams to rally the colonists against the British instead of a real massacre. After the end of the French and Indian War, England had a huge debt and little revenue, so Parliament passed laws taxing American colonists to help finance the British army and navy which contributed to protect the colonies. Parliament passed a series of laws, including the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act, which taxed goods purchased by settlers. Colonial merchants, who did not believe they should be taxed without representation in Parliament, signed non-importation agreements promising not to purchase or import British goods. There was a lot of violence committed against customs officers enforcing the...... middle of the day......, not deliberate and wanton killings. Using the term massacre to describe what happened to the colonists was a successful propaganda ploy by Samuel Adams to rally the colonists against the British, ultimately resulting in American independence. Works Cited Boston Massacre Historical Society. Boston Massacre Historical Society, Boston, Massachusetts, 2008. Web. November 12, 2009. Lukes, Bonnie L. The Boston Massacre. California: Lucent Books, 1998. “Massacre” print. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. November 18, 2009. Phelan, Mary Kay. The History of the Boston Massacre. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1976. Print. Smith, Robert. The infamous Boston Massacre. United States: Crowell-Collier Press, 1969. Print. Zobel, Hiller B. The Boston Massacre. New York: Norton and Company, 1970. Print.