Im pretty sure its a or c which answer best shows an effect of british soldiers firing upon colonists in boston, killing five of them? the first shots of the american revolution are fired, which officially starts a war between the colonies and britain. the sons of liberty protest by dumping tea into boston harbor, which becomes known as the boston tea party. samuel adams uses propaganda about the event to gain colonial support for the patriots in their fight against the british. delegates meet at the first continental congress to demand that britain repeal the coercive (intolerable) acts.