Boston Massacre Research Paper

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Pages: 4

On March 5, 1770, some young men were trying to pass through an alley near the battle street barracks, where a sentinel was striking a wall he then challenged the young men but they insisted on just passing. The men and the sentinel got into a scuffle and one of the men got slightly wounded on the head. The noise drew a crowd of people and the officer of the day was informed but bells were ringing and a larger crowd began to gather; some of these people were armed with clubs but mostly they threw pieces of wood, snowballs, and stones at a squadron of British soldiers following the incident. Tensions rising on the streets as the crowd began to grow larger and press in on the soldiers. At some point, the soldiers opened fire on the crowd; three men were …show more content…
Following the incident, the bodies of Attucks and another out-of-towner in state in Faneuil Hall. Three days later hearses for the four victims of 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 Preston and his men as well as four civilians accused of having fired from the window of the Customs House. The soldiers of the twenty-ninth regiment accused of murder were William Wemms, James Hartigan, William McCauley, Hugh White, Matthew Kilroy, William Warren, John Carrol and Hugh Montgomery. If found guilty they could face the death penalty. Preston and his soldiers could not find a legal representative counsel, they approached several lawyers without success until 35-year old John Adams agreed to head their