boston massacre known incident king street british incident march british_army soldiers killed male civilians injured incident heavily leading patriots fuel animosity british authorities british troops stationed boston capital order protect support crown appointed colonial officials attempting enforce unpopular parliamentary legislation amid ongoing tense relations population soldiers mob formed british subjected verbal abuse harassment eventually supported additional soldiers subjected verbal threats thrown objects fired crowd orders instantly killing people wounding people died later wounds sustained incident crowd eventually dispersed acting governor promised inquiry reformed day prompting withdrawal troops soldiers officer civilians arrested charged murder defended lawyer future american president soldiers acquitted convicted given reduced sentences men found guilty sentenced branding hand depictions reports propaganda event notably colored produced shown right heightened tensions background boston capital important shipping town major center resistance unpopular acts taxation acts placed colonists variety common items manufactured britain exported colonies subjected import colonists objected acts violation natural charter constitutional rights british subjects colonies began campaign acts sending petition king george iii asking repeal revenue act house sent known colonial assemblies asking join resistance movement called boycott merchants affected goods great_britain lord recently appointed newly created office colonial secretary alarmed actions april sent letter colonial governors america instructing dissolve colonial assemblies responded ordered massachusetts governor direct letter house refused comply boston chief customs officer wrote asking military support government hands people time stamp act commodore responded sending gun warship arrived boston harbor june customs officials seized liberty sloop owned leading boston merchant allegations ship involved smuggling angry captain local sailors began riot customs officials fled protection given unstable state affairs massachusetts instructed general commander chief north_america send force shall think necessary boston october british_army regiments began boston regiments removed boston 14th 29th regiments foot remained anonymously written series newspaper articles chronicled clashes civilians soldiers troops stationed boston feeding tensions exaggerated accounts events tensions rose markedly young years age killed customs employee february death funeral described largest time boston killing subsequent propaganda tensions gangs colonists looking soldiers harass soldiers occasion looking confrontation incident evening march private hugh white british soldier stood guard duty outside custom house king street today known state street young apprentice named called british officer captain lieutenant paid bill master fact settled account ignored insult private white called respectful officer exchanged insults private white left post challenged boy struck head musket cried pain companions began argue white attracted larger crowd year old later serve general revolution came scene warned white fired die evening progressed crowd private white grew larger church bells usually fire bringing people pressed white led mixed race runaway slave named throwing objects challenging fire weapon white taken somewhat safer position steps sought assistance runners alerted nearby barracks captain officer watch according report preston dispatched non commissioned officer 29th regiment foot fixed relieve white soldiers preston sent corporal accompanied preston pushed way crowd route trying reduce tensions warned preston god sake care men fire die captain preston responded aware reached private white custom house stairs soldiers loaded muskets formation preston shouted crowd estimated number disperse crowd continued press soldiers fire throwing small objects local carrying club came preston asked soldiers weapons loaded preston assured fire ordered according deposition unlikely standing thrown object struck private montgomery knocking causing drop musket recovered weapon thought angrily shout damn fire discharged crowd command given swung montgomery hitting arm preston narrowly missed preston head striking arm instead pause uncertain length eyewitness estimates ranged seconds minutes soldiers fired crowd disciplined volley preston gave orders fire ragged series shots fired hit men americans died instantly apprentice ivory turner seventeen struck musket ball crowd died hours later early morning day irish immigrant died weeks later apprentice seriously wounded attack recovered extent crippled eventually died injuries sustained attack decade earlier crowd moved away immediate area custom house continued grow nearby streets captain preston immediately called 29th regiment adopted defensive positions state house acting governor summoned scene forced movement crowd council chamber state house balcony able restore order promising fair inquiry crowd dispersed aftermath investigation immediately began investigating affair morning preston soldiers arrested meeting governor council held late morning boston asked order removal troops city town meeting met discuss affair governor council opposed ordering troop withdrawal correctly claiming authority order troops lieutenant colonel commander troops offer town meeting learned imminent threat violence council changed position unanimously according report agreed request troops removal secretary state reported troops removed probably destroyed people called rebellion loss charter consequence decision left governor effective means police town 14th transferred incident week later 29th following shortly victims buried amid great ceremony march fifth final victim died march buried march march soldiers captain preston civilians alleged fired shots indicted murder continued hostile troops general convinced troops harm good ordered 29th regiment province governor took advantage ongoing high tensions delays trials later year propaganda battle days weeks following incident propaganda battle waged boston supporters government sides published pamphlets told different stories principally published london bid influence opinion version events example characterized massacre ongoing scheme quell spirit liberty negative consequences troops city young boston artist half brother celebrated portrait painter depicted event paul closely copied image credited order public outrage contained details captain preston shown ordering men fire musket seen shooting window customs office labeled butcher hall artist hand colored prints copies print man chest wounds somewhat darker face matching descriptions victim person color image published circulating widely effective piece anti british propaganda image bright red backs wounded men red blood hung new_england anonymous pamphlets published describing event significantly different perspectives short narrative massacre published auspices boston town meeting principally written member governor council vocal opponent british colonial policy described shooting lesser incidents took place days attacks peaceful law inhabitants according historian probably influential description event account provided drawn taken event included accusations soldiers sent captain preston deployed intention causing harm interest impact jury pool city leaders held local distribution pamphlet sent copies colonies london knew collected governor route second pamphlet additional observations short narrative attack crown officials complaining customs officials left boston carry gathered london abandoning posts dangerous duties collected sent london eventually published pamphlet entitled fair account late unhappy disturbance boston drawn mainly soldiers account affairs sought blame selfish denying validity parliamentary laws blamed city gangs preceding event claimed set ambush soldiers published pamphlet arrived london ended having smaller impact public debate trials government determined soldiers fair trial grounds retaliation british alienated patriot cause lawyers loyalist refused defend preston sent request pleading work case adams leading patriot contemplating run public office agreed help interest ensuring fair trial adams joined assured oppose appointment loyalist assisted chief duty investigate jury pool drew detailed map bodies trial british soldiers held responsible general private attorney hired town boston handled prosecution preston tried separately late october acquitted jury convinced ordered troops fire trial soldiers opened november adams told jury look fact soldiers british argued soldiers endangered mob called boys irish jack sailors legal right fight innocent provoked endangered argued guilty jury agreed adams acquitted soldiers half hours soldiers found guilty overwhelming evidence fired directly crowd jury decisions suggest believed soldiers felt threatened crowd delayed firing fifth victim deathbed testimony delivered doctor convicted soldiers granted reduced sentences benefit clergy reduced punishment death sentence branding thumb open court civilians tried december principal prosecution witness servant accused claims easily defense witnesses face weak testimony public interest prosecution allegedly failed press case hard civilians acquitted servant eventually convicted banished province legacy considered important events turned colonial sentiment king british parliamentary authority wrote foundation american independence laid march patriots annual massacre day event british rule boy wounded attack died crowds reminder british hostility later events illustrated relationship britain colonies years passed massacre outright revolution direct connections massacre later war according historian somewhat widely perceived significant event leading violent rebellion followed massacre remembered celebration organized african american abolitionist saw death opportunity demonstrate role african americans revolutionary war partly activism artwork commemorating massacre produced changed color victim skin black original white emphasize claimed monument erected men killed massacre victims prominent grave burying ground massacre annually march auspices massacre site burying ground boston connecting sites important city revolutionary era history
Boston Massacre