a giant of a negro, named Attucks; they brandished their clubs, and pelted the soldiers with snowballs, abused them with all manner of harsh words, shouted in their faces surrounded them, and challenged them to fire.

8. They even rushed upon the points of the bayonets. The soldiers stood like statues, the bells ringing, and the mob pressing upon them. At last, Attucks, with twelve of his men, began to strike upon their muskets with clubs, and cried out to the multitude, “Don't be afraid! They dare not fire - the miserable cowards! Kill the rascals! Crush them under foot!" Attucks lifted his arm against Captain Preston, and seized upon a bayonet. "They dare not fire!" shouted the mob again. At this instant the firing began. The negro dropped dead upon the ground. The soldiers fired twice more. Three men were killed and others were wounded. The mob dispersed, but soon returned to carry off the bodies.

9. The whole town was now in an uproar. Thousands of men, women, and children rushed through the streets. The sound of drums, and cries of "To arms! to arms!" were heard from all quarters. The soldiers who had fired on the people were arrested, and the governor at last persuaded the multitude to go home quietly. The troops were ordered off to Castle William, now Fort Independ

ence.

The three slain citizens were buried with great ceremony on the 8th; the shops were all closed, while the bells in Boston and the towns around were all tolling.

10. The bodies were followed to the churchyard from King Street, through the city, by a long file of coaches, and an immense crowd of people on foot. The soldiers were soon after tried. Two were condemned and imprisoned; six of them were acquitted, much to the honor of the jury, and of John Adams and Josiah Quincy, who pleaded for them. The irritated and unreasonable popu

lace would have torn the soldiers in pieces, if they could have had their way.

11. In March, 1770, the English Parliament concluded to repeal the duties upon glass, paint, and other articles, but continued a tax of threepence a pound upon tea. This was a sad mistake. If Parliament had repealed all, and said no more about taxes, the Americans might have been satisfied. As it was, they began to buy goods of the English merchants again, tea alone excepted;. this they would have nothing to do with.

In

12. So matters went on during the year 1771. The officers of the revenue were every where despised. Boston, one of them undertook to seize upon a vessel for some violation of the law. He was seized upon himself by the people, for what they thought a violation of the law, stripped, carted through the town, besmeared with tar, and covered with a coat of feathers, so that he looked more like an ostrich than a man.

13. In 1772 the English government, intending to put down the rebellious spirit of the Americans, made several new laws, which only served to increase the difficulty. The Americans now began to think of doing something for themselves in earnest. Committees were chosen in every part of the country to attend to public affairs, and to write to each other.

14. In 1773 large ships, loaded with immense cargoes of tea, were sent out to America by some merchants in England. But the colonists had made up their minds what to do. In Philadelphia and New York not a man could be found to receive the English tea, or have any thing to do with it. A few chests, which one Captain Chambers had brought to Philadelphia, were let down very quietly to the bottom of the river, by some people who went slyly on board the ship. In Charleston it

was landed and lodged in cellars so damp that it was soon spoiled.

15. The people of Boston took a keen interest in this business. The English agents there, when the tea was first known to be on the way, were required by the people to give up all concern with it. They made no answer, but withdrew, as fast as convenient, into the fortress. Captain Hall soon arrived in port with one hundred chests of tea. The people collected in great fury, ordered him to keep it on board, as he valued his life, and placed a guard close by the vessel, upon Griffin's Wharf, east of Fort Hill.

16. Two other vessels, having arrived, were obliged to anchor by the side of Hall's ship. A town meeting, meanwhile, was summoned, and the people agreed to call upon the governor, and request him to have the ships

sent off. But the governor would do no

such thing. A

great uproar now began. A person in the gallery of the hall, dressed like an Indian, shouted the cry of war.

17. The meeting was dissolved in the twinkling of an eye, and the multitude rushed to Griffin's Wharf. Here were seventeen sea captains, carpenters, and others, disguised as Indians. It was night, and these persons went on board the three vessels, and in less than two hours, three hundred and forty chests of tea were staved and emptied into the sea. This done, they went quietly home, and the crowd dispersed, very well satisfied.

18. Early in 1774, an account of these disturbances having reached England, the government then determined, by way of punishing the people of Boston, to destroy the trade of that town by forbidding all kinds of goods to be landed there. Accordingly the Boston Port' Bill was passed in Parliament, and the news of it was received in Boston May 10. Like other unjust laws, this also did more hurt than good.

19. In a few days after the Port Bill was passed, other laws were made, still more severe. They were opposed in England by some persons; but a large part, both of the Parliament and the people, supposed, if the Americans were punished and pretty well frightened, they would, by and by, be more submissive to the mother country. This was another sad mistake.

were

20. Not only the people of Boston, but the whole people of America, — north, south, east, and west, more indignant than ever. Town meetings were held, days of fasting appointed, and news of the Port Bill spread over the whole country. An agreement to stop all trade with England, called the "league and covenant," was signed by immense numbers.

21. Those who refused to sign it were hooted at as

1 The "Boston Port Bill" was a law declaring that no person should be allowed to land or discharge, or to ship any wares or mer chandise at the port of Boston.

enemies of the country. General Gage, at Boston, issued a proclamation against the league, and declared it treasonable. But these were mere words; and the Bostonians published, in return, that the general's proclamation was treason.

22. On the 1st of June the Port Bill was put in force. At midday all business ceased in the custom house; no vessel was suffered to enter the harbor. Very little was now done, for the rich had no money to spare, and the poor had no employment. The soldiers paraded the streets in triumph.

23. But the Bostonians were not forgotten. The country was awake on all sides. The 1st of June was kept as a fast day in many places. In Philadelphia the shops were shut and the bells tolled. The people of Marblehead and Salem offered the Boston merchants their harbors, wharves, and warehouses, free of all cost; and large sums of money, and other things, collected in all parts of the country, were sent into Boston.

24. Serious preparations began to be made for war. People provided themselves with arms, formed companies, and learned, as fast as possible, the business of soldiers. Being most of them used to hunting, they were good marksmen. Every where nothing was heard but the noise of drums and fifes. Fathers and sons, young and old, became soldiers; and even women and girls set about casting balls and making cartridges.

25. Meanwhile the jealousy of the people towards the soldiers continued to increase. Even the children caught the general feeling, as a story will show you. During the winter, before the Port Bill passed, the boys were in the habit of building hills of snow on the common, and sliding down upon them to the pond. The English troops beat down these hills, merely to provoke the children. The boys complained of the injury, and set about repair