Leanne Payne asked Heidi Chiavaroli:

what did the boston massacre do to lots of people in the britsh?

Heidi Chiavaroli Hi Leanne! Thanks so much for stopping in. :)

After the Boston Massacre, the British soldiers did withdraw from Boston for a time. (The Tea Party put an end to that pretty quick!) During the trial for the soldiers involved in the Massacre, Captain Thomas Preston was found not guilty, along with 6 of the other 8 soldiers. That left 2 privates-Privates Kilroy and Montgomery, who were found guilty of manslaughter.

In those days, if you were charged with such a sentence, it meant the Hangman's Noose. But the two privates (defended by John Adams) plead what is called the "benefit of the clergy." This was an ordinance originally used by clergy members but eventually extended to first-time offenders. It gave grace for a first-time offense. So the two privates were branded with the letter "M" on their thumbs for "manslaughter" (so that they couldn't plead this benefit again) and sent on their way.

As you can see, no real punishment was given to the British soldiers. As far as the British people as a whole, I would say that the Massacre definitely fueled the fires of rebellion that really began sweeping through the colonies at that time. Five years later and with other major events to prod the colonists to seek independence (continued taxation without representation followed by the closing of the port of Boston after the Tea Party), the Revolution would officially begin.

Though I haven't done direct research regarding how the war affected the citizens of England directly, I can imagine that, just like the colonists, they lost many of their men in the war. King George also already had a deep debt due to the French and Indian War fought in the 1750s and early 1760s, so the Revolution no doubt increased that debt.

I hope this answers your question, Leanne! Thanks so much for asking!

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