Several were killed by British troops here on the streets of Boston.

The incident started when British troops were surrounded by a mob of colonists protesting taxes outside the Old State House on March 5, 1770. Emotions sizzled until—possibly accidentally, but certainly tragically—the soldiers fired on the crowd, killing five men.

Paul Revere, engraver and silversmith in addition to dedicated patriot, responded to this incident by creating an engraving of the scene, one of the most common images used to represent this sad day in Boston history. The circular cobblestone design outside the Old State House represents where the fallen patriots lay.

Once a year, on the Saturday closest to March 5, reenactors recreate the events of this night.