Boston Massacre Inquiry

BACKGROUND

TIMELINE OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE INCIDENT

FILM CLIPS

John Adams (Episode: Join or Die) – HBO miniseries, 2008

America: The Story of Us (Episode: Rebels) – History Channel documentary series, 2010

THE INCIDENT ON STATE STREET

Tensions ran high in Boston in early 1770. More than 2,000 British soldiers occupied the city of 16,000 colonists as a result of the Townshend Acts, and tried to enforce Britain’s tax laws. Skirmishes between colonists and soldiers – and between patriot colonists and colonists loyal to Britain (loyalists) – were increasingly common. To protest taxes, patriots often vandalized stores selling British goods and intimidated store merchants and their customers.

In March 1770, British officials ordered the removal of all occupants of the Boston Manufactory House—a halfway house for people living in poverty, those who were ill, and those who were homeless—so that a regiment of British soldiers could be garrisoned (housed) there. The Manufactory House’s homeless occupants put up a resistance, and the British backed down, but other confrontations ensued.

On the frigid, snowy evening of March 5, 1770, Private Hugh White was the only soldier guarding the King’s money stored inside the Custom House on King Street. It was not long before angry colonists joined him and insulted him and threatened violence.

At some point, White fought back and struck a colonist with his rifle. In retaliation, the colonists pelted him with snowballs, ice and stones. Bells started ringing throughout the town – usually a warning of fire – sending a mass of male colonists into the streets. As the assault on White continued, he eventually fell and called for reinforcements.

In response to White’s plea and fearing mass riots and the loss of the King’s money, Captain Thomas Preston arrived on the scene with several soldiers and took up a defensive position in front of the Custom House.

Worried that bloodshed was inevitable, some colonists reportedly pleaded with the soldiers to hold their fire as others dared them to shoot. Preston later reported a colonist told him the protestors planned to “carry off [White] from his post and probably murder him.”

The violence escalated, and the colonists struck the soldiers with clubs and sticks. Reports differ of exactly what happened next, but after someone supposedly said the word “fire,” a soldier fired his gun, although it is unclear if the discharge was intentional.

Once the first shot rang out, other soldiers opened fire, killing five colonists – including Crispus Attucks, a local sailor of mixed African and Native American heritage – and wounding six.

--History Channel

THE AFTERMATH

Local newspapers eulogized Attucks and the others as martyrs to British tyranny. Paul Revere and Samuel Adams, two of Boston’s most influential revolutionaries, proved adept propagandists. Revere is known for producing the most famous depiction of the incident... The image was published in the Boston Gazette and circulated widely, stoking the flames of anti-British anger and revolutionary righteousness. Pro-British Loyalists promoted an alternate narrative, accusing agitators in the crowd of deliberately provoking the incident. Nevertheless, the radical narrative proved far more influential.

The colonists did not want to give the British a pretext for retaliation, and so preparations were made to ensure a fair trial. A young lawyer named John Adams, despite his commitment to the revolutionary cause, agreed to defend the Redcoats, all but two of whom were acquitted.

--Khan Academy

1770 - Boston Massacre

1767 -Townshend Acts

1765 - Sons of Liberty formed

1765 - Stamp Act Congress

1765 - The Quartering Act

1765 - The Stamp Act

1764 - The Sugar Act

Proclamation of 1763

DOCUMENT 1

THE BLOODY MASSACRE PERPETRATED IN KING STREET BOSTON ON MARCH 5TH 1770 BY A PARTY OF THE 29TH REGT.

--Paul Revere, 1770

Unhappy BOSTON! see thy Sons deplore, Thy hallowe'd Walks besmear'd with guiltless Gore: While faithless --- and his savage Bands, With murd'rous Rancour1 stretch their bloody Hands; Like fierce Barbarians grinning o'er their Prey, Approve the Carnage, and enjoy the Day. If scalding drops from Rage from Anguish Wrung If speechless Sorrows lab' ring for a Tongue, Or if a weeping World can ought appease2

The plaintive3 Ghosts of Victims such as these; The Patriot's copious4 Tears for each are shed, A glorious Tribute which embalms the Dead. But know, FATE summons to that awful Goal, Where JUSTICE strips the Murd'rer of his Soul: Should venal C-ts the scandal of the Land, Snatch the relentless Villain from her Hand, Keen5 Execrations6 on this Plate inscrib'd, Shall reach a JUDGE who never can be brib'd.

The unhappy Sufferers were Messs. SAM. L GRAY, SAM.L MAVERICK, JAM.S CALDWELL , CRISPUS ATTUCKS & PAT.K CARR Killed. Six wounded two of them (CHRIST.R MONK & JOHN CLARK) Mortally.

1 Rancour: (rancor) resentment 2 Appease: pacify; give in to 3 Plaintive: mournful; sad

4 Copious: plentiful 5 Keen: strong; intense 6 Execrations: insults; curses

DOCUMENT 2

Captain Thomas Preston's Account of the Incident (March 13, 1770), from British Public Records Office

On Monday night about 8 o’clock, two soldiers were attacked and beat. [The colonists] broke into two meeting houses and

rang the alarm bells, which I supposed was for fire as usual… Some of the guard came to and informed me the town

inhabitants were assembling to attack the troops, and that the bells were ringing as the signal for that purpose and not for

fire, and the beacon7 intended to be fired to bring in the distant people of the country. This, as I was captain of the day,

occasioned my repairing8 immediately to the main guard.

In my way there I saw the people in great commotion, and heard them use the most cruel and horrid threats against the

troops. In a few minutes after I reached the guard, about 100 people passed it and went towards the customhouse where the

king's money is lodged. They immediately surrounded the sentry9 posted there, and with clubs and other weapons threatened

to execute their vengeance on him. I was soon informed by a townsman their intention was to carry off the soldier from his

post and probably murder him… This I feared might be a prelude to their plundering the king's chest.

I immediately sent a non-commissioned officer and 12 men to protect both the sentry and the king's money, and very soon

followed myself to prevent, if possible, all disorder, fearing lest the officer and soldiers, by the insults and provocations of the

rioters, should be thrown off their guard and commit some rash act. They [the soldiers] soon rushed through the people, and

by charging their bayonets in half-circles, kept them at a little distance…

The mob still increased and were more outrageous, striking their clubs or bludgeons one against another, and calling out,

“come on you rascals, you bloody backs, you lobster scoundrels, fire if you dare, G-d damn you, fire and be damned, we know

you dare not”… At this time I was between the soldiers and the mob, parleying10 with, and endeavoring11 all in my power to

persuade them to retire peaceably, but to no purpose. They advanced to the points of the bayonets, struck some of them and

even the muzzles of the pieces… On which some well-behaved persons asked me if the guns were charged. I replied yes. They

then asked me if I intended to order the men to fire. I answered no, by no means, observing to them that I was [standing]

before the muzzles of the men's pieces, and must fall a sacrifice if they fired… While I was thus speaking, one of the soldiers

having received a severe blow with a stick, stepped a little on one side and instantly fired, on which turning to and asking him

why he fired without orders, I was struck with a club on my arm, which for some time deprived me of the use of it, which blow

had it been placed on my head, most probably would have destroyed me.

On this a general attack was made on the men by a great number of heavy clubs and snowballs being thrown at them… some

persons at the same time from behind calling out, “damn your bloods-why don't you fire.” Instantly three or four of the

soldiers fired, one after another, and directly after three more in the same confusion and hurry. The mob then ran away,

except three unhappy men who instantly expired… The whole of this melancholy affair was transacted in almost 20 minutes.

On my asking the soldiers why they fired without orders, they said they heard the word fire and supposed it came from me.

This might be the case as many of the mob called out “fire, fire”, but I assured the men that I gave no such order; that my

words were, “don't fire, stop your firing.” In short, it was scarcely possible for the soldiers to know who said fire… On the

people's assembling again to take away the dead bodies, the soldiers supposing them coming to attack them, were making

ready to fire again, which I prevented… Immediately after a townsman came and told me that 4 or 5000 people were

assembled in the next street, and had sworn to take my life with every man's with me. On which I judged it unsafe to remain

there any longer, and therefore sent the party and sentry to the main guard… It was with great difficulty that the lieutenant-

governor prevailed12 on the people to be quiet and retire. At last they all went off, excepting about a hundred.

7 Beacon: signal 8 Repairing: returning 9 Sentry: guard 10 Parleying: negotiating 11 Endeavoring: trying 12 Prevailed: convinced; won over

DOCUMENT 3

A Short Narrative of the Horrid Massacre– James Bowdoin and the Committee Investigating the Affair, 1770.

THE HORRID MASSACRE IN BOSTON, PERPETRATED IN THE EVENING OF THE FIFTH DAY OF MARCH, 1770, BY SOLDIERS OF THE

TWENTY-NINTH REGIMENT WHICH WITH THE FOURTEENTH REGIMENT WERE THEN QUARTERED THERE; WITH SOME

OBSERVATIONS ON THE STATE OF THINGS PRIOR TO THAT CATASTROPHE…

A difference13 having happened near Mr. Grays ropewalk14, between a soldier and a man belonging to it, the soldier challenged the

ropemakers to a boxing match. The challenge was accepted by one of them, and the soldier worsted15. He ran to the barrack in the

neighborhood and returned with several of his companions. The fray16 was renewed, and the soldiers were driven off…Though this

affair ended thus, it made a strong impression on the minds of the soldiers in general, who thought the honor of the regiment

concerned to revenge those repeated repulses17…

Samuel Drowne [a Boston citizen] declares that… he saw about fourteen or fifteen soldiers of the 29th regiment, who came from

Murray's barracks, armed with [swords] and came upon the inhabitants of the town… and abused some, and violently assaulted

others as they met them; most of whom were without so much as a stick in their hand to defend themselves…

These assailants… proceeded… up the Royal Exchange lane into King street; where, making a short stop, and after assaulting and

driving away the few they met there, they brandished their arms and cried out, "where are the boogers! where are the cowards!"…

The outrageous behavior and the threats of the said party occasioned the ringing of the meeting-house bell near the head of King

street, which bell ringing quick, as for fire, it presently brought out a number of inhabitants… [and] had drawn together a number of

boys, round the sentry18 at the Custom House19. Whether the boys mistook the sentry for one of the said party, and thence took

occasion to differ with him, or whether he first affronted20 them… there was much foul language between them, and some of them,

in consequence of his pushing at them with his bayonet, threw snowballs at him, which occasioned him to knock hastily at the door

of the Custom House… The officer on guard was Capt. Preston, who with seven or eight soldiers, with fire-arms and charged

bayonets, issued from the guardhouse, and in great haste posted himself and his soldiers in front of the Custom House, near the

corner aforesaid. In passing to this station the soldiers pushed several persons with their bayonets, driving through the people in so

rough a manner that it appeared they intended to create a disturbance. This occasioned21 some snowballs to be thrown at them

which seems to have been the only provocation22 that was given. Mr. Knox (between whom and Capt. Preston there was some

conversation on the spot) declares, that while he was talking with Capt. Preston, the soldiers of his detachment had attacked the

people with their bayonets and that there was not the least provocation given to Capt. Preston of his party; the backs of the people

being toward them when the people were attacked. He also declares, that Capt. Preston seemed to be in great haste23 and much

agitated, and that, according to his opinion, there were not then present in King street above seventy or eighty persons at the

extent.

The said party [the soldiers] was formed into a half circle; and within a short time after they had been posted at the Custom House,

began to fire upon the people.

Captain Preston is said to have ordered them to fire, and to have repeated that order. One gun was fired first; then others in

succession and with deliberation24, till ten or a dozen guns were fired; or till that number of discharges were made from the guns

that were fired. By which means eleven persons were killed and wounded…

13 Difference: disagreement 14 Ropewalk: rope-making shop 15 Worsted: to be defeated, beaten 16 Fray: fight 17 Repulses: insults 18 Sentry: guard 19 Custom House: building that holds the king’s money 20 Affronted: insulted; injured 21 Occasioned: caused 22 Provocation: harassment; aggravation 23 Haste: hurry 24 Deliberation: purposefulness; intent

DOCUMENT 4

--Copy of chromolithograph by John Bufford after William L. Champey, ca. 1856.

DOCUMENT 5

--The Boston Massacre, engraving based on a painting by Alonzo Chappel, 1868

Name: __________________________________________________________ Date: __________________ Period: _______

The Incident on State Street

Background

Take notes on the events, tone, and perspective of each source in the appropriate box.

John Adams miniseries America: The Story of Us History Channel and Khan Academy

Notes:

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Understanding Bias and Reliability

Read through the documents provided and answer the following questions.

1. Why are there so many different accounts of this event?

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2. What are the different types of people who might have seen this incident?

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3. What might make one version of the incident more believable or plausible than another version?

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Understanding Context

Using the timeline, documents, and your notes, write down evidence that will help you understand the context of the events on State Street.

What is happening in the world? What is happening in the colonies? What is happening in Boston?

Notes:

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Your Conclusion

Using complete sentences, write a paragraph or more that answers the following question: What happened in the incident on State Street? (Please identify sources of information)

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