Perhaps nothing did more to foment anti-British sentiment than the armed occupation of Boston. This is Richard Archer's narrative of those critical months between October 1, 1768 and the winter of 1770 when Boston was an occupied town. Archer moves deftly between the governor's mansion and cobblestoned back-alleys as he traces the origins of the colonists' conflict with Britain. He reveals the maneuvering of colonial leaders as they responded to London's new policies, and he evokes the outrage many Bostonians felt towards Parliament and its local representatives. Archer captures the popular mobilization under the leadership of John Hancock and Samuel Adams that met the oppressive imperial measures--most notably the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act--with demonstrations, violence, and non-importation agreements. When the city was flooded with troops, tempers flared and violent conflicts broke out. Archer's vivid tale culminates in the Boston Massacre and its aftermath.--From publisher description.