Many arguments have been made against independence that "when this war is declared, all supplies from abroad will be cut off", leaving the colonies subject to the will of the Canadians. and “to the numerous tribes of savages”, who would without hesitation seek revenge on the colonists (Leonardo, 2, 3). Another argument which seems neither to support nor oppose the prospect of independence is that "the love of liberty is a predominant trait which marks and distinguishes the whole", implying that a thirst for liberty such as that present in the colonies could lead to its ruin. (Burke, 2). But when news of the Boston Massacre spread throughout the colonies, although greatly exaggerated, it had the effect of adding fuel to an extinguished fire of kindling and gunpowder. The Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770, when British soldiers fired into a crowd after a Whig demonstration by merchants selling English goods. But the spark that ignited the war did not come until four years later, when the Continental Congress addressed Parliament demanding the repeal of the coercive acts that were blatantly ignored. When it became clear that there would be no repeal, the colonists began to prepare for their war of independence which