Final answer:
In 1768, to restore order due to colonial protests, the British sent troops to Boston, heightening tensions and leading to incidents like the Boston Massacre, which precipitated the American Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
In 1768, the British government sent four thousand British troops to Boston to maintain order amidst increasing colonial unrest. This deployment came in response to the Massachusetts Circular, which caught Parliament's attention by objecting to British policies. General Thomas Gage was appointed as the new royal governor to enforce law and order, his arrival signifying a forceful assertion of British control. The British occupation of Boston was met with resistance from the colonists, who viewed the troops as an embodiment of British oppression.
Resentment towards British authority was further fueled by the arrival of the troops. The Sons of Liberty, an organization comprised of colonists, led protests and boycotts, and even engaged in harassment against the British soldiers. This militarized presence disrupted the local labor market by providing soldiers with part-time jobs, particularly as dockworkers, which competed with colonists' jobs and exacerbated economic tensions.
The friction between British troops and colonists escalated, climaxing in the infamous Boston Massacre in 1770. This tragic incident, where British soldiers killed five colonists during a confrontation, deepened the animosity and set the stage for the Revolutionary War. Boston became Britain's military headquarters in the colonies, and General Gage's attempts to impose control further prepared the ground for the impending conflict, leading to the Revolutionary War's outbreak in 1775.