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Boston Massacre

            The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770 between eight and nine in the evening. This was a fight between the colonists and the British soldiers. There are many different accounts of exactly what happened that night including "Captain Thomas Preston's Account" and an "Anonymous Account" (thought to be written by Samuel Adams). .
             Samuel Adams and Thomas Preston's account differ greatly on how the dispute started between the colonists and British. For instance, Adams states that at "about nine o'clock of the fifth of March" soldiers appeared with bayonets. A soldier was using "foul language" toward a "number of boys" and "in consequence of his pushing at them with his bayonet, threw snowballs at him." In other words, the soldiers were attacking these boys with bayonets and in self defense the boys began throwing snowballs and twigs at them. On the contrary, Preston claims that "on Monday night about 8 o'clock two soldiers were attacked and beat." He states he "heard them use the most cruel and horrid threats against the troops." As a result, colonists then made an "attack on the men by a great number of heavy clubs and snowballs." When the reader analyzes Adams" and Preston's side of the story it is apparent that Adams is closer to the real event because he does not use adjectives with a negative connotation. The British were also more experienced fighters and had a great advantage with the bayonets. Preston also over exaggerates the number of colonists saying there was "4 or 5000 people." Adam's and Preston's contrasting explanations of the starting of the Boston Massacre make it difficult to understand what really occurred that day. .
             A controversy that has been argued over for many years was whether Preston told his soldiers to fire. Preston says on his "asking the soldiers why they fired without orders, they said they heard the word fire and supposed it came from me.


Essays Related to Boston Massacre

1. The Boston Massacre

Possibly one of the key events in history that occurred during the pre-revolutionary colonies would have to be the Boston Massacre. This was resulted from tensions between British soldiers and the citizens of Boston. ... The apprehension finally gave way and at dusk on March 5th, 1770, five colonists were shot dead in a quarrel soon to be given the name "The Boston Massacre." ... By insinuating that all troops stationed acted as the ones in Boston did, Americans gained citizens from not only the colonies, but worldwide. ... The British hardly saw this as a massacre, but as propaganda agains...

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  • Grade Level: High School

2. The Boston Massacre

"The Boston Massacre" was not really a massacre, in a sense that many were killed, but in the sense that the British government had gone too far of controlling the colonists. ... Even before the Boston Massacre, there are already many boycotting taking place. One of the taxation that led to the Boston Massacre was the Stamp Act. ... These incidents caused the colonist's hatred toward the British, and also it somewhat caused the Boston Massacre. ... Finally, the Boston Massacre was not really a Massacre, but that Paul Revere wanted to show the tyranny of the British government, and to un...

  • Word Count: 693
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Boston Massacre

THE BOSTON MASSACRE This essay is a short look at an event in American History that at times as been to say the least maybe a bit over blown. What would later be called The Boston Massacre, wasn't your conventional massacre in that the body count was not in excessive amounts with the streets coated in the blood of the innocent. ... To borrow a quote from an old teacher, "The Boston Massacre was an massacre in that it severed the Colonist last bit of toleration it had for Great Britain." ... However Alice Dickson's Boston Massacre says it's a stick thrown by the crowed but n...

  • Word Count: 1194
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  • Grade Level: High School

4. Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre A cold morning, in March of 1770 changed the life of many colonists who lived under British rule. ... Americans and the world have come to know the incident, as the Boston Massacre, or the road to independence. The Boston Massacre began with several hundreds of adults and youths surrounding the home of Ebenezer Richardson. ... According to Preston's account of the Boston Massacre, he immediately rushed to the Custom House and formed his army to prevent harm to his guards and destruction of the guard post. ... Although, it was a slaughter it was not a Massacr...

  • Word Count: 947
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

5. History of the Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770. ... The citizens who died from the Boston Massacre were Samuel Maverick, James Coldwell, Samuel Gray, and Crispus Attucks. ... The British faced trials a couple months after the Boston Massacre. ... Seven months after the Boston Massacre, in October of 1770, Captain Preston was tried for murder in a Boston courtroom. ... The Boston Massacre Trials dignified John Adams' reputation as one of the best lawyers in Massachusetts. ...

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  • Grade Level: High School

6. The Story of the Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre was one of the most important events of the colonial times. But this controversial topic brings up the question of whether or not the Boston Massacre was really a massacre. ... My first reason for proving that the Boston Massacre was not a massacre is that it had no massacre content. ... So those three reasons are why I believe the Boston Massacre was not a Massacre. ... That is why I believe that the Boston Massacre was not a massacre....

  • Word Count: 500
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  • Grade Level: High School

7. Revolution and the Boston Massacre

Gangs of colonists stormed the streets of Boston each day, as they continued to heckle the troops dressed in red. ... Samuel Maverick was also 17 and was just at the commissioner's house by accident the day of the massacre. Patrick Carr was the last victim to die in the Boston Massacre, he was an immigrant from Ireland trying to grow his leather business. ... Since then the Boston Massacre soon became a holiday, and the removal of the troops from Boston lowered the tension between the troops and the colonists. The Boston Massacre was a very crucial event that signaled the American Revolut...

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8. The boston massacre

The Boston Massacre On the fifth day of March, 1770, a lone guard standing watch at the customs house was attacked by an angry mob. ... There was more than just the problem of the redcoats" presence in Boston, to the local residents. ... Citizens and soldiers were fighting more often; the climax of their battles was on March 5, 1770, the Boston Massacre. ... Samuel Adams and other propagandists immediately capitalized on the Boston Massacre, although it was clearly not a massacre, using it to fan colonial passions (US history, 2002). Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson released an ord...

  • Word Count: 747
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

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