Massachusetts was the center for rebellion against the British Parliament who continued to tax the colonies to pay off British war debts. The Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Townshend Acts were greatly opposed. In 1770, people in Boston rioted, and during the Boston Massacre, five citizens were killed by British soldiers who fired into the crowd. This further enraged the colonists. To calm them, Britain repealed the Townshend Acts.
Again in 1773, Britain imposed a Tea Act on the colonies. A group in Boston, dressed as Native Americans, boarded the ship carrying the first tea shipment from England and dumped it all in the sea. Boston harbor was closed, people were required to house British soldiers in their homes, and MassachusettsΓÇÖ charter was revoked.
