Historical Places | willpmcallister

Teaching With Historical Places: The Boston Massacre

Boston Massacre

10/23/2014

About the Lesson

In this lesson, students will learn about the Boston Massacre. This site serves as important location to the American revolution as it exemplifies both the colonist feelings towards the British Government and soldiers, and the outward tensions and hostility that were manifested.

Student Objectives

After this lesson, students will be able to...

Identify the cause and events leading up to and during the Boston Massacre.
Identify the various parties involved with the Boson Massacre and explain why their role is important.
Explain the outcome of the Boston Massacre, the people involved, and why it was significant.
Analyze what the results of the Boston Massacre were for the colonies.

Standard Connections

The Following Massachusetts Social Science Standard will be addressed in part by this lesson.

USI.5 Explain the role of Massachusetts in the Revolution, including important events that took place in Massachusetts and important leaders from Massachusetts. (H)

People, place, and environment

Getting Started

Look closely at this image, do you see anything that stands out to you? Who are the people involved, what do you think they might have been doing prior to the shooting?

Do you think this is a realistic representation of what happened during the Boston Massacre? Why or why not? Judging by this picture alone, who do you think is responsible for the events of that day? What does that tell you about the artist that made this image?

Setting the Stage

Since 1765 the people of Boston had been heading protests against British taxation, first against the Stamp Act and then in 1767 against the Townshend Acts. Citizens believed that Britain did not have the right to tax them because they did not elect their representatives in Parliament. Only the Massachusetts Assembly, whose members were elected every year, had the right to levy taxes on its citizens.

Riots and protests were common occurrences as well as attacks on tax officials. On October 1768 troops arrived in Boston requested by Governor Francis Bernard. The purpose of the 14th and 29th regiments was to protect government officials against mob attacks, restore order and reinforce collection of taxes.

Finding accommodation for 2,000 soldiers in a city of 16,000 was not an easy task. The expense, according to the Quartering Act of 1765, fell on the local legislature. The decision was made to send the troops to Castle Island; three miles away south from Boston but it was too far from where they were needed. Bernard moved its troops to Boston renting empty warehouse and wharfs as barracks. Residents felt violated by the imposed force of the soldiers and political activists wanted them and the Townshend taxes removed. Soldiers were permitted to take on part time jobs in their off-duty hours, these jobs were mostly in warehouses. Conflict arouse between them and unskilled local citizens.

A group of merchants with the support of the Sons of Liberty had decided to boycott those products affected by the Townshend duties. During the morning of February 22nd a crowd had gathered to demonstrate in front of a merchant’s office suspected of breaking the boycott. Violence was imminent as the crowd shouted epithets at Ebenezer Richardson, an informer for the customs service. As the mob chased him he fired into the crowd killing eleven-year old Christopher Seider who died from a gunshot to his abdomen. Samuel Adams paid for his funeral and John Adams wrote: “My eyes never beheld such a funeral”. Tension was gradually rising between civilians and British soldiers and what happened on the night of March 5th , known as the Boston Massacre, was not entirely unanticipated.

The Boston Massacre was a street fight that occurred on March 5, 1770, between a colonist mob, throwing snowballs, stones, and sticks, and a squad of British soldiers. Several colonists were killed and this led to a campaign by speech-writers to rouse the ire of the citizenry.

The presence of British troops in the city of Boston was increasingly unwelcome. The riot began when about 50 citizens attacked a British sentinel. A British officer, Captain Thomas Preston, called in additional soldiers, and these too were attacked, so the soldiers fired into the mob. Three men were killed on the spot, a black sailor named Crispus Attucks, ropemaker Samuel Gray, and a mariner named James Caldwell. Eight others were wounded. Two of whom died later were Samuel Maverick and Patrick Carr.

A town meeting was called demanding the removal of the British and the trial of Captain Preston and his men for murder. At the trial, John Adams and Josiah Quincy II defended the British, leading to their acquittal and release. Samuel Quincy and Robert Treat Paine were the attorneys for the prosecution. Later, two of the British soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter.

The Boston Massacre was a signal event leading to the Revolutionary War. It led directly to the Royal Governor evacuating the occupying army from the town of Boston. It would soon bring the revolution to armed rebellion throughout the colonies.

It is important to note that the stationing of British Troops in 1768 was not met with open resistance.

Examine Both of these pictures. Forgetting the obvious modern differences, what stands out to you as similar about these locations? What is different about them?

The large circle on the ground is said to be the exact place that the Boston Massacre happened, though we know this isn't true. Street names have been moved since the 1700s, but knowing this, why do people still believe this is the exact location. Do you see any ways that the second image might lead people to think that?

Determining the Facts

Secondary Source

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-boston-massacre

On the cold, snowy night of March 5, 1770, a mob of American colonists gathers at the Customs House in Boston and begins taunting the British soldiers guarding the building. The protesters, who called themselves Patriots, were protesting the occupation of their city by British troops, who were sent to Boston in 1768 to enforce unpopular taxation measures passed by a British parliament that lacked American representation.

British Captain Thomas Preston, the commanding officer at the Customs House, ordered his men to fix their bayonets and join the guard outside the building. The colonists responded by throwing snowballs and other objects at the British regulars, and Private Hugh Montgomery was hit, leading him to discharge his rifle at the crowd. The other soldiers began firing a moment later, and when the smoke cleared, five colonists were dead or dying—Crispus Attucks, Patrick Carr, Samuel Gray, Samuel Maverick, and James Caldwell—and three more were injured. Although it is unclear whether Crispus Attucks, an African American, was the first to fall as is commonly believed, the deaths of the five men are regarded by some historians as the first fatalities in the American Revolutionary War.

The British soldiers were put on trial, and patriots John Adams and Josiah Quincy agreed to defend the soldiers in a show of support of the colonial justice system. When the trial ended in December 1770, two British soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter and had their thumbs branded with an "M" for murder as punishment.

The Sons of Liberty, a Patriot group formed in 1765 to oppose the Stamp Act, advertised the "Boston Massacre" as a battle for American liberty and just cause for the removal of British troops from Boston. Patriot Paul Revere made a provocative engraving of the incident, depicting the British soldiers lining up like an organized army to suppress an idealized representation of the colonist uprising. Copies of the engraving were distributed throughout the colonies and helped reinforce negative American sentiments about British rule.

1. Do you think that anything could have been done, by either side, to prevent the Boston Massacre from happening? Could anything have been done prior to the day? Could anything have been done on the day when the situation was escalating?

2. Why do you think that John Adams and Josiah Quincy agreed to defend the British soldiers despite the anger that colonist felt towards the British at the time?

3.Why do you think the Sons of Liberty choose to use the Boston Massacre as one of their main reasons for removing the British from Boston? How did Paul Revere play part in this?

Primary Source

http://www.bostonmassacre.net/trial/d-bliss.htm

The Deposition of Theodore Bliss

1770

At home. I heard the Bells for fire.t:3 Went out. Came to the Town House. The People told me there was going to be a Rumpus with the Soldiers. Went to the Custom house. Saw Capt. Preston there with the Soldiers. Asked him if they were loaded. He said yes. If with Ball. He said nothing. I saw the People throw Snow Balls at the Soldiers and saw a Stick about 3 feet long strike a Soldier upon the right. He sallied and then fired. A little time a second. Then the otherl s l fast after one another.

One or two Snow balls hit the Soldier, the stick struck, before firing. I know not whether he sallied on account of the Stick or step'd back to make ready. I did not hear any Order given by the Capt. to fire. I stood so near him I think I must have heard him if he had given an order to fire before the first firing. I never knew Capt. Preston before. I can't say whether he had a Surtout on, he was dressed in red. I know him to be the Man I took to be the Officer.

The Man that fired first stood next to the Exchange lane. I saw none of the People press upon the Soldiers before the first Gun fired. I did after. I aimed a blow at him myself but did not strike him. I am sure the Captain stood before the Men when the first Gun was fired. I had no apprehension the Capt. did give order to fire when the first Gun was fired. I thought, after the first Gun, the Capt. did order the Men to fire but do not certainly know. I heard the word fire several times but know not whether it came from the Captain, the Soldiers or People. Two of the People struck at the Soldiers after the first Gun. I dont know if they hit 'em. There were about 100 people in the Street. The muzzles of the Guns were behind him. After the first Gun the Captain went quite to the left and I to the right.

Theodore Bliss was a man who witnessed the events of the Boston Massacre first hand. Given what you know about the event and the situation surrounding it, do you think his testimony is credible? Why or why not?
Theodore Bliss was clearly on the colonist side, seeing as he attacked the British soldiers. Does this change how you view his testimony?
What facts would you like to know to either refute or uphold Theodore's testimony?

Carving of the Boston Massacre by Paul Revere

Based on what you have read about the Boston Massacre, do you think this accurately portrays what happened on that day?
What elements of the picture would you say leads the viewer to one conclusion or the other?
Is there anything missing or added to this picture in your opinion? Why do you think it is missing/added?

Putting it all together

Activity 1: Students will work in groups of 2-3 and make a Glogster about one particular aspect of the Boston Massacre. Events, people, location, prior events, or results of the Boston Massacre are all acceptable topic choices. No group may do the same topic.

Activity 2: Students will write a short (One Page) paper on the Boston Massacre. They will take the role of either a colonist or soldier and explain their thought process during the Boston Massacre or during it's trial. For the colonist, aspects like why they were berating the British should be included, and for the British their views of the mob or the resulting trial should be included.