Boston Massacre Research Paper

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Taking place on the evening of March 5, 1770, the Boston Massacre was an interaction between a mob of colonists, and nine British redcoats outside the Boston Customs House that took a bloody turn, resulting in the death of five colonists, and leading to the British soldiers being tried for murder. In the case of the Boston Massacre Trial, justice was served to the soldiers who were found not guilty or branded for manslaughter.
To being, the soldiers deserved to be found not guilty because they acted largely in self-defense. According to Primary Source #3 and #4, “Testimony from Captain Thomas Preston”, “They immediately surrounded the sentry with clubs and other weapons threatened to execute their vengeance on him. They advanced to the points …show more content…
As shown in Primary source #2, “Testimony from Bostonian William Tant” those in the mob were crying “Fire, fire, and be-damned.” with these shouts ringing in the air, the likelihood of one of the soldier’s assuming they had received an order to fire is high, and even though two of the soldiers did fire directly into the crowd, they probably did so due to the shouts of the mob. Although the soldiers were not at fault for mishearing the word fire or acting in self-defense, it was a fitting punishment for the two soldiers who fired into the crowd to receive branding on their thumbs. Even if they heard the order fire in the ruckus, the soldiers should have been better trained and more rational, and not fired into the crowd. The branding is a fitting punishment to serve as a reminder for being reckless and unprofessional in a time of crisis. Even a notable patriot John Adams who reluctantly accepted the defense position for the Redcoats stated in Primary Source #7 “An Excerpt from Diary and Autobiography of John Adams” “Judgement of Death against those soldiers would have been as foul a Stain upon this Country as the Executions of the Quakers or Witches, anciently.” The justice of the trial’s verdict is confirmed by the statement of someone whose initial views are against the

Boston Massacre Research Paper

what was quickly referred to as the Boston Massacre led to the procession to the Granary burying ground, following the hearses was the coaches of distinguished citizens of Boston and thousands of people on foot. All four coffins were put in one grave. All shops were closed, and bells were rung in Boston and neighboring towns. It was said to be the biggest gathering on this continent up to that time. At the end of March 1770, just three weeks after the Boston Massacre, a grand jury had indicted Captain…

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Boston Massacre Research Paper

The Boston Massacre was one of the many causes of the American Revolution. On March 5, 1770, British soldiers stood on guard duty patrolling the area, until when mob of colonists were surrounded the soldiers. Suddenly, one of the colonists threw a snowball at a Redcoat. Once after it was thrown a ¨lobster¨ open-fired, causing four men to die instantly while injuring six others. One of the four men was a former slave, Crispus Attucks, for he is considered a patriot and the first African American hero…

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Boston Massacre Research Paper

more responsible for The Boston Massacre and it's aftermath. I believe this way for multiple reasons such as the following: the British soldier was carelessly waving his sword around dangerously and wouldn’t stop, the British soldiers are the ones who started to chase the colonists with weapons and guns, and also there were a lot more of colonist fatalities than there were British, so most of the aftermath was their fault too. The first reason I believe the massacre was more the British’s fault…

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Boston Massacre Research Paper

place on March 5th, 1770. It paved the way to American freedom and the America that we have today. The American Revolution is composed of several events that lead to our eventual victory over Britain. One of these events is the Boston Massacre. Event The Boston Massacre was given its name by the colonists after 5 Bostonians were killed in what was supposedly a peaceful riot. It all started while Private White of the British military struck young Edward Garrick in the face for insulting his commanding…

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Boston Massacre Research Paper

Boston Massacre: or tragedy In my opinion the Boston Massacre started because of the Bostonians. I will share three reasons why I feel the Bostonians were at fault for the Boston Massacre. It all began when some Bostonians walked out of a pub and created a disturbance with some officers (Redcoats) who were standing on the corner of the street. One Bostonian in the group first yelled out at one of the officers that he did not pay the wig maker. A ruckus was started between the first officer and…

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Boston Massacre Research Paper

The Boston Massacre happened because colonists lost their jobs and blamed the British soldier. The colonists were throwing snowballs and other objects at the soldiers and one got hit and fired. Five total colonist were killed and many believe that the first one to die was Crispus Attucks. The purpose of the Boston Massacre to get the British to leave and to have more rights. The colonist didn’t want the British to stay in their homes during times of peace. The colonists were used to having…

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Boston Massacre Research Paper

The Boston Massacre, which took place on March 5, 1770, was a pivotal event in American history that contributed to the growing tensions between the American colonists and the British government. The incident occurred when British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists in Boston, killing five people and injuring several others. The question of who was at fault for the Boston Massacre has been a topic of debate for centuries, with opinions varying on whether the blame lies with the British soldiers…

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Boston Massacre Research Paper

Why was the Boston Massacre called a “Bloody Massacre” even though the event wasn’t a Massacre? Even though five people were killed, it was a riot. A massacre is when innocent, unaware, unarmed people were killed in large groups and a riot is a violent public disturbance by people or a crowd. At the Boston Massacre, the colonists were armed with oyster shells, icy snowballs, snowballs, and sticks. They were also aware that they were provoking the soldiers by letting the colonist boys kicking them…

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Boston Massacre Research Paper

Boston massacre, The trial. Boston Massacre: The Boston massacre accrued in Boston Massachusetts, March 5th 1770. The British soldiers invaded towns and burned people's homes with torches as bright as the sun. The day some town's people and a few patriots started throwing snowballs and rocks at the red coats. Captain Preston ordered his soldiers to fire, a boy threw a rock at a solider and the soldier fired his rifle at the boy. That day 3 patriots were shot and more than 5 townspeople passed…

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Boston Massacre Research Paper

The Boston Massacre was a devastating event that happened during 1770 where several Boston citizens were shot by British troops. Overall, the American colonists are to blame for this event. Captain Preston, the captain who ordered the troops to shoot, stated “The mob still increased and were more outrageous, striking their clubs… and calling out, come on you rascals, you bloody backs, you lobster scoundrels” (Primary Source #3). This quote proves how the colonists were provoking the soldiers. The…

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