The Boston Massacre took place against a backdrop of rising tensions between American colonists and British authorities. The presence of British troops in Boston had long been a source of conflict, as many colonists opposed British taxation and interference in local governance. On the fateful day, a crowd gathered outside the Customs House to protest the soldiers' presence, which they viewed as an occupation force. As the crowd grew more hostile, they began throwing snowballs, rocks, and other objects at the soldiers. In the chaos, the soldiers felt threatened and opened fire on the crowd. Crispus Attucks, a man of African and Native American descent, is often noted as the first person to fall, symbolizing the struggle for freedom and civil rights. The gunfire resulted in the deaths of five men and left several others wounded, shocking the public and stoking the fires of rebellion against British rule. The event was heavily propagandized by patriots, including Paul Revere and Samuel Adams, who used it to galvanize popular sentiment against Britain and unite the colonies in their quest for independence.