It was a dumb thing to do. Like a lot of teenagers, Garrick didn't think before running his mouth. He even poked the soldier in the chest with his finger… until the soldier ultimately struck him in the head with a musket.

Now, Boston at the time was a hotbed of revolutionary spirit. Whereas today, people in the northeast seem to be happy to pay outrageous tax rates to incompetent politicians, back in the late 1700s they were ready to go to war over unfair taxation.

So when that British soldier struck Edward Garrick, an angry mob quickly formed at the scene.

By nightfall the soldier had been reinforced by several armed men from his regiment. And the commanding officer, Captain Thomas Preston, pleaded with the crowd to disperse.

But the mob continued to grow… and become increasingly agitated. Someone in the crowd threw an object at the soldiers, knocking one of them down. Another man swung a cudgel at them… and the soldiers opened fire, killing three people instantly. Pandemonium ensued.

Eventually the entire 29th Regiment was called out to help restore order. And the crowd was only satisfied when the governor promised a full investigation.

Nine British soldiers were arrested the following morning and put on trial for murder in the incident that is known to history as the Boston Massacre.

What's remarkable is that the soldiers actually did receive a fair trial. Most were acquitted,