BOston massacre
The oppression of the British rule over the colonies, led to a tragic event in Boston. [1] Colonists were resistant to the Crown, leading to British troops being quartered into Boston in 1768 to keep order. [2] On March 5, 1770, a soldier who was stationed at the Custom House, was being struck with snowballs by an angry crowd that was upset about the Townshend acts. [3] When reinforcements were called, rather then the townspeople disseminating, more people gathered and began to throw rocks and snowballs at the reinforcements too. [4] While the tension was rising along with the harassment, the soldiers fired into the crowd, without Captain Thomas Preston’s command. [5] As a result, five townspeople were killed and six were injured. [6] Due to the Boston Massacre, colonists began expressing their ruthless perception of the British through art, testimonies, and anonymous accounts.
One way that colonists expressed their negative image of the British was through art. The revolutionary, Paul Revere published a famous painting he made of the Boston Massacre through his view. He expresses his merciless perception of the British by exaggerating the painting to make the British look harmful. [7] In his painting, the soldiers are lined up, shooting at the townspeople. [8] This expresses that the British are intending to execute the civilians. It also shows the carelessness and aggression of the British. As well, the building behind the soldiers is named “Butchers Hall,” symbolizing that the soldiers are slaughtering the Bostonians as if they are the butchers. [9] Also, since butchers kill helpless animals, the painting is indicating that the British are murdering helpless people. Revere depicts one civilian with his back facing the soldiers, illustrating that Revere believed the British’s actions were unfair and without warning. [10] Another thing to point out is that in his painting the civilians are not armed, which also indicates that they were innocent and defenseless. [11] From these depictions in his painting, Paul Revere is trying to give the message that what the British did was cruel and wrong. Although the cruel image of the British was expressed through art, testimonies were another way the colonists expressed this negative view of them.
Colonists made several testimonies after the Boston Massacre, and many of them expressed a negative idea of the British. For instance, John Cole gave his testimony during the Boston Massacre trials that demonstrated his disagreement on the actions of the British. [12] In his testimony, he states, “I saw the officer after the firing and spoke to the soldiers and told ‘em it was a cowardly action to kill men at the end of their Bayonets.” [13] This is letting the public know that he did not think it was fair that the British were taking advantage of their power and harming the townspeople, since they were defenseless. He also declares that the townspeople had no weapons and that the Captain announced to the soldiers, “Fire again and let ‘em take the consequence.” [14] This is revealing that Cole strongly believes the British are the ones to blame for the massacre and that the townspeople were unarmed so they didn’t even oppose a threat. Since they didn’t oppose a threat, indicates that the British were not justified in their actions in shooting at the crowd. Samuel Adams also conveyed his view on the British through his testimony. [15] With this testimony, his goal was to refute charges that the Bostonians were the aggressors in the Boston Massacre. [16] He also hoped to build public tension against the British military. [17] This illustrates that Samuel Adams is defending the townspeople and thought negatively of the British military. He wanted the public to know that he believed the Bostonians were innocent and that rather, it was the British army who were the aggressors in the Boston Massacre. Not only did colonists express their negative idea of the British through art and testimonies, but by anonymous accounts as well.
A few anonymous accounts were published after the Boston Massacre that depicted the brutal idea they had on the British that fired their guns during the Boston Massacre. One anonymous account was very effective in creating a negative image of the soldiers. [18] The person describes, one by one, the people who got shot, using their full names, and whether they died or were wounded. [19] The way that he exhibits these details creates a negative image of the British because since the names are listed back to back, it causes the reader to have more of an impact on the situation. By reading all the names of the townspeople who were shot, it makes the townspeople seem defenseless and innocent, while on the other hand, the British look like “butchers.” He also mentioned that the British abused the locals with their power. [20] He believed the act of firing upon civilians was unjust and performed due to perceiving themselves as being better than the townspeople and having power over them. [21] This shows that the British were arrogant and did not have self-control. They let their power take over and it resulted in the deaths of innocent people.
The Boston Massacre had a great impact in the way the colonists perceived the British. With the colonists expressing their views, the public was influenced to think the British were brutal in their decision to fire upon innocent people. Based on the public opinion, the British were not justified in their acts.
1. Fitz, Karsten. "Commemorating Crispus Attucks: Visual Memory and the Representations of the Boston Massacre, 1770-1857." Amerikastudien / American Studies 50.3, Early American Visual Culture (2005): 463-84. Print. Pg 267.
2. Fitz. Pg 267.
3. Kellogg, Louise Phelps. "The Paul Revere Print of the Boston Massacre." The Wisconsin Magazine of History 1.4 (1918): 377-87. Print. Pg 378.
4. Kellog. Pg 378
5. Kellog. Pg 378
6. Sanchez, Tony. "The Story of the Boston Massacre: A Storytelling Opportunity for Character Education." Social Studies 96.6 (2005): 265-9. Print. Pg 267
7. Paul Revere, “The Bloody Massacre in King-Street, March 5, 1770.” Boston, 1770.
8. Paul Revere, “The Bloody Massacre in King-Street, March 5, 1770.” Boston, 1770.
9. Paul Revere, “The Bloody Massacre in King-Street, March 5, 1770.” Boston, 1770.
10. Paul Revere, “The Bloody Massacre in King-Street, March 5, 1770.” Boston, 1770.
11. Paul Revere, “The Bloody Massacre in King-Street, March 5, 1770.” Boston, 1770.
12. "The Boston Massacre Trials." (2008)Print.
13. "The Boston Massacre Trials." (2008)Print.
14. "The Boston Massacre Trials." (2008)Print.
15. Linder, Douglas. "The Boston Massacre Trials." (2001)Print.
16. Linder, Douglas. "The Boston Massacre Trials." (2001)Print.
17. Linder, Douglas. "The Boston Massacre Trials." (2001)Print.
18. "Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre." Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre (2009): 1. Print.
19. "Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre." Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre (2009): 1. Print.
20. "Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre." Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre (2009): 1. Print.
21. "Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre." Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre (2009): 1. Print.
One way that colonists expressed their negative image of the British was through art. The revolutionary, Paul Revere published a famous painting he made of the Boston Massacre through his view. He expresses his merciless perception of the British by exaggerating the painting to make the British look harmful. [7] In his painting, the soldiers are lined up, shooting at the townspeople. [8] This expresses that the British are intending to execute the civilians. It also shows the carelessness and aggression of the British. As well, the building behind the soldiers is named “Butchers Hall,” symbolizing that the soldiers are slaughtering the Bostonians as if they are the butchers. [9] Also, since butchers kill helpless animals, the painting is indicating that the British are murdering helpless people. Revere depicts one civilian with his back facing the soldiers, illustrating that Revere believed the British’s actions were unfair and without warning. [10] Another thing to point out is that in his painting the civilians are not armed, which also indicates that they were innocent and defenseless. [11] From these depictions in his painting, Paul Revere is trying to give the message that what the British did was cruel and wrong. Although the cruel image of the British was expressed through art, testimonies were another way the colonists expressed this negative view of them.
Colonists made several testimonies after the Boston Massacre, and many of them expressed a negative idea of the British. For instance, John Cole gave his testimony during the Boston Massacre trials that demonstrated his disagreement on the actions of the British. [12] In his testimony, he states, “I saw the officer after the firing and spoke to the soldiers and told ‘em it was a cowardly action to kill men at the end of their Bayonets.” [13] This is letting the public know that he did not think it was fair that the British were taking advantage of their power and harming the townspeople, since they were defenseless. He also declares that the townspeople had no weapons and that the Captain announced to the soldiers, “Fire again and let ‘em take the consequence.” [14] This is revealing that Cole strongly believes the British are the ones to blame for the massacre and that the townspeople were unarmed so they didn’t even oppose a threat. Since they didn’t oppose a threat, indicates that the British were not justified in their actions in shooting at the crowd. Samuel Adams also conveyed his view on the British through his testimony. [15] With this testimony, his goal was to refute charges that the Bostonians were the aggressors in the Boston Massacre. [16] He also hoped to build public tension against the British military. [17] This illustrates that Samuel Adams is defending the townspeople and thought negatively of the British military. He wanted the public to know that he believed the Bostonians were innocent and that rather, it was the British army who were the aggressors in the Boston Massacre. Not only did colonists express their negative idea of the British through art and testimonies, but by anonymous accounts as well.
A few anonymous accounts were published after the Boston Massacre that depicted the brutal idea they had on the British that fired their guns during the Boston Massacre. One anonymous account was very effective in creating a negative image of the soldiers. [18] The person describes, one by one, the people who got shot, using their full names, and whether they died or were wounded. [19] The way that he exhibits these details creates a negative image of the British because since the names are listed back to back, it causes the reader to have more of an impact on the situation. By reading all the names of the townspeople who were shot, it makes the townspeople seem defenseless and innocent, while on the other hand, the British look like “butchers.” He also mentioned that the British abused the locals with their power. [20] He believed the act of firing upon civilians was unjust and performed due to perceiving themselves as being better than the townspeople and having power over them. [21] This shows that the British were arrogant and did not have self-control. They let their power take over and it resulted in the deaths of innocent people.
The Boston Massacre had a great impact in the way the colonists perceived the British. With the colonists expressing their views, the public was influenced to think the British were brutal in their decision to fire upon innocent people. Based on the public opinion, the British were not justified in their acts.
1. Fitz, Karsten. "Commemorating Crispus Attucks: Visual Memory and the Representations of the Boston Massacre, 1770-1857." Amerikastudien / American Studies 50.3, Early American Visual Culture (2005): 463-84. Print. Pg 267.
2. Fitz. Pg 267.
3. Kellogg, Louise Phelps. "The Paul Revere Print of the Boston Massacre." The Wisconsin Magazine of History 1.4 (1918): 377-87. Print. Pg 378.
4. Kellog. Pg 378
5. Kellog. Pg 378
6. Sanchez, Tony. "The Story of the Boston Massacre: A Storytelling Opportunity for Character Education." Social Studies 96.6 (2005): 265-9. Print. Pg 267
7. Paul Revere, “The Bloody Massacre in King-Street, March 5, 1770.” Boston, 1770.
8. Paul Revere, “The Bloody Massacre in King-Street, March 5, 1770.” Boston, 1770.
9. Paul Revere, “The Bloody Massacre in King-Street, March 5, 1770.” Boston, 1770.
10. Paul Revere, “The Bloody Massacre in King-Street, March 5, 1770.” Boston, 1770.
11. Paul Revere, “The Bloody Massacre in King-Street, March 5, 1770.” Boston, 1770.
12. "The Boston Massacre Trials." (2008)Print.
13. "The Boston Massacre Trials." (2008)Print.
14. "The Boston Massacre Trials." (2008)Print.
15. Linder, Douglas. "The Boston Massacre Trials." (2001)Print.
16. Linder, Douglas. "The Boston Massacre Trials." (2001)Print.
17. Linder, Douglas. "The Boston Massacre Trials." (2001)Print.
18. "Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre." Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre (2009): 1. Print.
19. "Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre." Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre (2009): 1. Print.
20. "Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre." Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre (2009): 1. Print.
21. "Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre." Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre (2009): 1. Print.