In this episode, I cover the Boston Massacre, the culmination of the violence that took place between 1768-1770 as a result of British occupation of Boston. Both Tory and patriot reactions are covered, and the stark contrast in testimony between multiple perspectives of the event are considered. I also cover the trial of the British soldiers, and the legal arguments in their favor brought about by John Adams, a young lawyer determined to vindicate Massachusetts’ legal system by defending the soldiers. I conclude by revealing how the event was commemorated and portrayed in the newspapers. Tellingly, the event spurred patriots in the other colonies to sympathize with the plight of New Englanders.
WATCH
Other Recommended Readings
–Mercy Otis Warren, The Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution
–James Bowdoin, Joseph Warren, and Samuel Pemberton, A Short Narrative of the Horrid Massacre
–A Fair Account of the Late Unhappy Disturbance in Boston (a collection of depositions from eyewitnesses, collected by Governor Huthcinson)
