Final answer:
The confrontation known as the Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770, and resulted in the deaths of five colonists, including Crispus Attucks. This event contributed to the growing tensions leading up to the American Revolutionary War and has positioned Attucks as a significant figure and martyr in this historical period.
Step-by-step explanation:
A clash between soldiers and Boston colonists in which five colonists including Crispus Attucks were killed is known as the Boston Massacre. This event occurred on March 5, 1770, when a crowd started throwing objects such as snowballs, rocks, and sticks at British soldiers guarding the customs house. In the chaos, soldiers fired into the crowd, leading to the death of five individuals, including Crispus Attucks, a man of Wampanoag and African descent. Attucks is often remembered as the first casualty in what would become the war for American independence.
The Boston Massacre significantly escalated tensions between the colonists and the British, contributing to the rise of the American Revolutionary War. The aftermath of the event included trials for the soldiers involved, and eventually, the patriot cause grew stronger, as illustrated by acts like the Boston Tea Party. The legacy of Crispus Attucks as a martyr and symbol of British oppression was later cemented in American history.