The Boston Massacre The stress put on the relationship between England and the colonists that was built up over many years was let go of in a small incident that was blown up to huge proportions. An innocent snowball thrown, although not with the best intentions, turned into musket balls flying. A small argument turned to murder. This incident is called the Boston Massacre. Before the Boston Massacre took place, many things the British did upset many of the colonists greatly. Many were the acts that they placed on them, some of which included the Stamp Acts and the Tea Act. These actions placed tension between the colonis