Boston Massacre Essay
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Boston Massacre
In my report I will be discussing the Boston Massacre. I will be looking at the Boston Massacre from three different perspectives. These perspectives are from such people as Boston colonists Samuel Adams; Tom Hutchinson, Lieutenant Governor and Acting Governor in 1770; and Captain Preston and his troops. I will also hold some depositions from people who were actually close or at the massacre. I will be showing the differences on how all three felt about the situation.
Due to great burden from the different acts that brought many unwanted taxes from the British government, the Boston citizens were greatly irritated. The colonists felt as if they were prisoners in their own land. The merchants had the ability of holding meetings in the State House, as the property of it was in the town; but they were deprived of that right by mere power. Governor Bernard, soon after by every stratagem and by every method but a forcibly entry, endeavored to get possession of the manufactory-house, to make a barrack of it for the troops. This purpose caused it to be besieged by the troops, and the people in it to be used very cruelly. Everywhere they turned they saw guards. Judging from this, the townspeople concluded that the town was to be favored, by the Commissioners being appointed to reside there and that the consequence of that residence was the relief and encouragement of commerce. The reverse was the constant uniform effect of it; so that the commerce of the town, from the embarrassments from which is was involved, was greatly reduced. The townspeople had become partisans of Governor Bernard in his political schemes; and had the weakness and temerity to infringe upon one of the most essential rights of the house of commons of the province-that of giving their votes with freedom, and not being accountable therefore but to their constituents. These guards were quartered in the city to discourage demonstrations against the Townshend Acts. These guards would frequently question and harass people just passing by. Many redcoats were in search of different off-duty jobs, which meant they would be taking away jobs from the Boston laborers. Many times when the soldiers left their barracks and were walking about the town, they carried large clubs, for the purpose of assaulting the people. Minor clashes between citizens and soldiers were common occurrences in Boston following the arrival of troops. Boston soon became the hotbed of anti-British sentiment, but it also was the garrison of several thousand British troops a sure recipe for conflict. All through the long winter of 1769, soldiers and citizens had clashes in street brawls and tavern fights.
Many would say that the colonists had every right to be mad and irritated. The soldiers were just taking commands from the country that they are defending and fighting for, so the soldiers thought they were just doing the right thing. But we all know that they went to extremes by the frequent wounding of persons by their bayonet cutlasses, and the numerous instances of bad behavior in the soldiery. This also led the colonists to conclude that England did not send those troops over for their well being, but they were there for the benefit of England. Once again, they were only taking orders from England. The horrid massacre in Boston, perpetrated in the early evening of March 5, 1770, by soldiers of the twenty-ninth regiment which with the fourteenth regiment were then quartered there, a crowd of laborers began throwing hard packed snowballs at soldiers guarding the Customs-house. Irritated beyond the ability to remain patient the sentries acted against express orders and fired on the crowd, killing five and wounding eight, one of which died a few days later. The names of some of the people who were either wounded or killed are; Mister Samuel Gray killed on the spot by a ball entering his head. Crispus Attucks, a mulatto, killed on the spot, by two balls entering his breast. Mister James Caldwell killed on the spot, by two balls entering his back. Mister Samuel Maverick, a 17-year-old youth, was mortally wounded, he died the next morning. Mister Patrick Carr mortally wounded; he died in the fourteenth instant. Chris Monk and John Clark, two teenagers about 17, were dangerously wounded, it was apprehended that they would die, but they did not. Mister Edward Payne, a merchant, who was standing at his door at the time the guns were fired was wounded. Messengers John Green, Robert Patterson, and David Parker were all dangerously wounded. The actors of this dreadful tragedy were a party of soldiers commanded by Captain Preston of the twenty-ninth regiment. There were depositions in this affair, which mention that several guns were fired at the same time from the Customhouse. Benjamin Frizell, on the evening of March fifth, having taken his station near the west corner of the Customhouse on King Street was a witness to the shooting. He declared, among other things, that the first discharge was only of one gun, the next of two guns, upon which he, the deponent thought he saw a man stumble. The third discharge was of three guns, upon which he saw two men fall. Immediately after was discharged five guns, two of which were by soldiers on his right, the other three were discharged from the balcony, or the chamber window on the balcony. Gillam Bass, being on King Street at the same time declared that they posted themselves between the Customhouse door and the west corner of it. In a few minutes they, the soldiers, started to fire upon the people. Two or three shots were from a really high place where he believes must have come from the balcony windows. A few more men also declared the same thing. Mister Drowne, who also testified, recalled that "the violent proceedings of this party, and their going into King Street, quarrelling and fighting with the people whom they saw there, was immediately introductory to the grand catastrophe." The most important factor from these testimonies is that they all agreed that they saw some of the shots coming from the higher balcony windows. This proved that those soldiers were at no danger, but still took it upon themselves to shoot at the innocent citizens who were carrying on activities of their daily living. The morning after the massacre, a town meeting was held at which a very great number of freeholders and inhabitants of the town attended. It was now time for the town to speak up against the soldiers and their actions. William Newhall declared that on Thursday night the first of March, he met four soldiers of the twenty-ninth regiment, and that he remembered them saying that; "there were a great many that would eat their dinners on Monday next, and should not eat any on Tuesday."
The outrageous behavior and the threats of the said party occasioned the ringing of the meetinghouse bell near the head of King Street. The townspeople were deeply impressed and affected by the tragedy of the preceding night, and were unanimous in the following opinion; if the troops should remain any longer in the town, their safety would continue to be compromised. This led them to chose a committee of fifteen gentlemen to wait upon his Honor the Lieutenant Governor on Council, and requested him to issue his orders for the immediate removal of the troops. The message to his Honor from the townspeople was in these words: "That it is the unanimous opinion of the meeting that inhabitants and soldiery can no longer live together in safety. That nothing can rationally be expected to restore the peace of the town and prevent further blood carnage, but the immediate removal of the troops; and that we, the townspeople, therefore most fervently pray his Honor, that his power and influences may be exerted for the instant removal. His Honor's reply was laid before the town adjourned from the old south meeting house, can be summarized in the following manner. "Gentlemen, I am extremely sorry for the unhappy differences between the inhabitants and the troops, and especially for the action of last evening, and I have exerted myself upon the occasion, that a due inquiry may be made, and that the law may have its course. I have in council consulted with the commanding officers of the two regiments who are now in town. They have their orders from the General at New York, and it is not in my power to countermand those orders. The Council has desired that the two regiments be removed to the Castle. From the particular concern with the 29th regiment has had in your differences, Colonel Dalrymple, who is the commanding officer of the troops, has signified that the regiment shall without delay be placed in the barracks at the castle. When he can send the General and receive his further orders concerning both the regiments, and the main-guard shall be removed, and the 14th regiment so disposed, and laid under such restraint that...
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