Analytical Essay ( Boston Massacre)

After analyzing the video about the Boston Massacre, what it should be called depends all on which side you took. Patriots would have took this as a massacre because, not only would it blame the British, but their people were also considered "slaughtered". Thus, to the Patriots, this would be considered a massacre. However, for the Loyalists and British, this would be considered a riot. A crowd of colonists threw snowballs, stones, oyster shells, and even wood at British soldiers. This was basically a disturbance of peace, or a riot. The soldiers had the right of defending themselves, so I do understand the reasons for shooting, but killing wasn't necessary. In the end however, in my opinion, without being biased to any sides, the Boston Massacre should be considered a riot.

"I heard the word fire and took it and am certain that it came from behind the Soldiers. I saw a man passing busily behind who I took to be an Officer. The firing was a little time after. I saw some persons fall. Before the firing I saw a stick thrown at the Soldiers. The word fire I took to be a word of Command. I had in my hand a highland broad Sword which I brought from home. Upon my coming out I was told it was a wrangle between the Soldiers and people, upon that I went back and got my Sword,” said Benjamin Burdick. This account shows the confusion that was ever-present during the Boston massacre. It also shows that the colonists and the soldiers may have been equally violent during the Boston Massacre.

After the French and Indian War, tension was increasing in the English Colonies due to over taxation laws. In March of 1770, hatred between the colonists and the British soldiers erupted into fighting in an event known as the Boston Massacre. The Boston Massacre was a significant event in the American Independence movement. The source of the conflict with the British troops and the Bostonians was the Townshend Act in 1767, three years prior to the massacre. The primary sources in this collection of documents are of different accounts of the massacre: a pamphlet of the testimony of William Wyatt, an article from the Boston Gazette and Country Journal, a sketch by Paul Revere, an account of Captain Thomas Preston, and a court case from John Adams. These documents expose the turmoil of that day from different perspectives of Bostonians and British soldiers. They also show how some colonial leaders used this event to advance the patriot cause. The account of Captain Thomas Preston said that he tried to

The tension between the colonies and Britain was nothing new. There were several occasions where the colonies became greatly infuriated with the unpleasant treatment they were receiving. Prior to the year 1770, much of the outcry came from the acts passed by the British government, such as the Stamp Act, Quartering Act, and Declaratory Act (“A Timeline of the American Revolution”). Even though the colonists were infuriated, it would take something more to push them over the edge. This something would turn out to be what is now called the Boston Massacre. Although the Boston Massacre won’t go down as the deadliest massacre in American history, it will go down as one of the most pivotal turning points due to the colonists’ depiction of the event.

On the cold and snowy night of March 5, 1770, rioters marched down King Street in Boston, breaking the usual silence. In front of the customs office, the violent rioters were met by five British soldiers and their commanding officer. They immediately began haranguing the soldiers. During the ensuing chaos, the soldiers, who had been bombarded by stones and balls of ice, were becoming anxious as they waited for commands from their superiors. However, the soldiers panicked when they heard, through the yells of the rioters, the word “Fire!”. Upon hearing that word, the soldiers opened fire on the crowd with their muskets. “Shouts and curses filled the air.” (pg. 206). Five rioters were swiftly killed.This was the infamous Boston Massacre- An event that shaped U.S. history and fed the growing flames of revolution among the British colonists in America. After the massacre, the outraged people of Boston called for a trial. Defending the soldiers was renowned lawyer and future president John Adams, who believed that everyone should be granted a fair trial. With the help of Mr. Adams, the soldiers were determined to achieve victory. Through months of thought and many struggles, they succeeded. As punishment, the soldiers were branded and sent back to England, but

To begin, while the colonists were attacking the soldiers, there was a profuse amount miscommunication. According to Benjamin Burdick, he heard the captain order to the soldiers “not to fire”. However, the crowd was harassing the soldiers, screaming “fire if you dare”. During all the chaos, it was hard for the soldiers to depict who was saying what. Most likely a

The book provides evidence and witness testimony to help the reader determine what might have happened the night of the Boston Massacre. The evidence given was from witnesses from the King and witnesses for Preston. This trial lasted for five days and ended with Preston being innocent (83). The story information given from the witnesses was different, although all the witnesses had the same amount of soldiers and they had the Captain at the site. A few of the witnesses’ stories went together and contained about the same information, all-resulting in Preston’s favor. Since the shooting took place around nine at night in the dark, it is unsure of what the Captain was wear making some of the witness not as reliable due to their description of the Captain. Some witnesses could have thought it was the Captain but it could have been one of their own citizens, no one knows for sure. One witness, Daniel Cornwall, said he was standing within 2 yards of the Captain and he claimed that the Captain standing to the right and facing the

Fischer also mentions in his book the events of the Boston Massacre that took place on March 5, 1770 and its impact into the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Due to the increase of soldiers placed in Boston, colonists grew angry. This was seen as another invasion of the colonist’s liberties. They felt that it was the British rule’s way of showing a distrust

You may know this affair as ¨The Bloody Massacre¨, The Boston Massacre, ¨the incident on King street¨, but do you know the true story. In this tractate youĺl find why this event even happened, the scene itself, how Paul revere's engraving was actually a propaganda, and the aftermath of all this!

By March 5, 1770, only 600 British troops remained in the city (Zobel, 181). “On Monday, March 5, Boston seemed to be holding its breath” (Lukes, 32). The friction between

To deeply understand that what is Boston Massacre is all about, it is necessary to critically analyze the causes and effects of the incident of Boston Massacre. Boston Massacre is considered as one of the decisive incidents in the history of America. The act of Boston Massacre happened on March 5, 1770. This incident was known as the act of massacre because it causes the brutal killing of five American men due to the fight between British soldiers and the American

The Boston Massacre was an important event in U.S. history, that lead to the American

“Between the hours of nine and ten o’clock, being in my master’s house, was alarmed by the cry of fire, I ran down as far as the town-house, and then heard that the soldiers and the inhabitants were fighting in the alley… I then left them and went to King street. I then saw a party of soldiers loading their muskets about the Custom house door, after which they all shouldered. I heard some of the inhabitants cry out, “heave no snow balls”, others cried “they dare not fire”. The Boston massacre has been no massacre it was propaganda. The incident that happened March 5th, 1770 in the streets of Boston only killed five people and had six people with non fatal injuries. There were

The American Revolution is a defining moment in American history. Each part of the Revolution is very important when talking about the Revolution itself. However, most the events leading up to the Revolution haven't necessarily been given enough credit. One of these events is the focus of this paper. The event that I will focus on for this paper is the Boston Massacre. The Boston Massacre, like the Boston Tea Party, is said to have been the moment the war started. Why is this the case? What made the Boston Massacre so memorable in public memory? My answer to this question is humor. The use of political humor and propaganda left lasting impressions on events that would have faded into obscurity. Through this essay, I will analyze the “A Verfe Occafioned by the

The Boston Massacre is considered by many historians to be the first battle of the Revolutionary War. The fatal incident happened on March 5 of 1770. The massacre resulted in the death of five colonists. British troops in the Massachusetts Bay Colony were there to stop demonstrations against the Townshend Acts and keep order, but instead they provoked outrage. The British soldiers and citizens brawled in streets and fought in bars. “The citizens viewed the British soldiers as potential oppressors, competitors for jobs, and a treat to social mores”. A defiant anti-British fever was lingering among the townspeople.