An Incident in Boston –
March 5, 1770
This packet focuses on an historical event that is frequently referred to as “The Boston Massacre.” The
word massacre means a violent killing of many people. Throughout history, there has been significant
controversy over who was at fault in this incident and whether or not it was truly a massacre.
In an attempt to allow an examination of this controversy without having our thinking unfairly
influenced, or biased, by strongly suggestive language, we are instead referring to this event as “An
Incident in Boston – March 5, 1770.”
Through the activities, you will explore the HISTORICAL QUESTION:
“Were the British soldiers guilty of murder, or,
were they innocent, acting in self-defense?”
You will also practice two specific DISCIPLINARY SKILLS FOR HISTORIANS that will support you in
meeting the following objectives:


I can analyze the purpose of VISUAL SOURCES of information.
I can explain what historians do when SOURCING a document and why sourcing matters
in the discipline of History.
Before we begin examining “An Incident in Boston – March 5, 1770,” let’s review what we know
about HISTORICAL SOURCES.
What do historians use HISTORICAL SOURCES for?
My Notes
Class Notes
What is the difference between PRIMARY and SECONDARY SOURCES?
PRIMARY SOURCE
SECONDARY SOURCE
Task #1 Background Essay:
“An Incident in Boston – March 5, 1770”
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“An Incident in Boston on March 5, 1770”
-----------------------------------------------------------------Before the incident 600 British soldiers had occupied Boston as a police force for two years.
They were there to enforce British tax and custom law that had been resisted by some Boston
residents, often violently. The soldiers were not welcome by the townspeople of Boston and
hostility had been growing between civilians and soldiers.
On March 5, 1770 a crowd of about 400 colonists (all men except for one woman) confronted a
squad of eight British soldiers. The crowd threw snowballs and other objects at the soldiers,
many of the men in the crowd carried clubs. The eight soldiers loaded their muskets and
formed a single line facing the crowd.
Their commander, Captain Thomas Preston, stood in front of his soldiers and asked the crowd
to go home. But the crowd, far from drawing back, came close, calling out, "Come on you
rascals, you bloody backs, you lobster scoundrels, fire if you dare, God damn you, fire and be
damned, we know you dare not," and striking at the soldiers with clubs and a cutlass.
Someone yelled “Fire!” and shots rang out. The soldiers and the crowd battled briefly. As a
result of this incident five Bostonians would die – three that night [Samuel Gray, Crispus Attucks
(an American slave, merchant seaman, and dockworker), and James Caldwell] and two within a
few days (Samuel Maverick and Patrick Carr). Six other Bostonians were injured. Captain
Preston and eight soldiers were arrested for murder.
Preparations for the trial began almost immediately. Witnesses were summoned to appear
before the justices and give statements about what they saw, and the British military collected
witness statements as well. A Boston lawyer, John Adams, was asked to represent Captain
Preston. Adams took the case because he believed the defendant was entitled to a lawyer. He
also agreed to defend the eight soldiers. The trials took place October 24-30 and November 27December 5, 1770.
Additionally, many people rushed to publish either in newspapers, letters, or illustrations their
version of what happened that night. Colonists called this incident the “Boston Massacre,” but
there was great controversy about who was to blame for what happened that night. The
controversy lasted for many years after this incident.
Sources:
 Source Citation: "The Boston Massacre Trials (1754-1783)." American Eras. 8 vols. Gale Research, 1997-1998.
Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group.
http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC
 Boston Massacre Historical Society, http://bostonmassacre.net
“The Boston Massacre Files,” The Boston Society, http://bostonhistory.org/bostonmassacre
1. After reading the background briefing and provide a brief summary – no more than
35 words – of what happened in Boston on March 5, 1770.
“An Incident in Boston – March 5, 1770”
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2. What was the immediate result of this event?
3. Reread the 1st four paragraphs and answer the following questions.
a) How many colonists were there?
b) What were the colonists doing?
c) How many soldiers were there?
d) What were the soldiers doing?
e) Where was the Captain Preston located? (Place him in the illustration and identify
which person is Preston?
f) Who were the dead and injured? (Place and name them in the illustration.)
4. Secondary Source Creation: On the following page, use this limited amount of
information to draw a picture of what happened that night in Boston. After you have
completed your illustration give it a title that tells what is going on in the drawing.
“An Incident in Boston – March 5, 1770”
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Title:
Use this space for your illustration
“An Incident in Boston – March 5, 1770”
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Task #2: Source Analysis:
“An Incident in Boston – March 5, 1770”
-----------------------------------------------------------------Illustration 1: 19th century wood engraving, artist unknown
Image Source Analysis:
Visual Observations
Source Origins Observations
Questions
Inferences
Purpose: What message does the artist communicate with this image? (Possible starter: Through this image, the artist, is
communicating that… He communicates this by showing/depicting...)
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Illustration 2: Three weeks after the incident, the silversmith and patriot, Paul Revere produced and
distributed this engraving. Although he knew people who were eyewitnesses, he probably was not there himself.
It became the official patriot version of the incident.
Unhappy Boston! See thy sons
deplore [view as terrible]
Thy hallowed [sacred] walks
besmeared with guiltless gore
[blood]
While faithless Preston and his
savage bands
With murderous rancor [anger]
stretch their bloody hands
Like fierce barbarians grinning
o’er their prey
Approve the carnage
[slaughter] and enjoy the day.
Image Source Analysis:
Visual Observations
Source Origins Observations
Questions
Inferences
Purpose: What message does the artist communicate with this image? (Possible starter: Through this image, the artist, Patrick Henry, is
communicating that… He communicates this by showing/depicting...)
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Task #3 – Sourcing
A. When historians analyze information they consider the origins of a historical
source in order to help make sense of it. This is called “sourcing.”
Some questions to think about as we “source” the illustrations we have analyzed
include:
1. If the images are meant to show the same incident, why are they so different?
2. Why do two different people have different ideas about what happened?
3. What factors might influence what an author sees or the messages/he chooses to
communicate?
B. Partner work/ Discussion
Consider the following question independently and then take notes from class
discussion.
What does today’s work tell you about what historians must consider when they
read/look at an historical source?
My Notes
Class Notes
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Examine the illustrations again and complete the chart below
Questions
Illustration #1 – by John
Bufford
Illustration #2 – by Paul
Revere
How long after the incident was
the illustration completed?
How many colonists are in the
drawing?
What are the colonists doing?
How many soldiers are in the
drawing?
What are the soldiers doing?
Where is Captain Preston
located? Identify which soldier
you think is Preston?
How many of the colonists
appear to be either killed or
injured? Can you identify any
of them?
Given what you learned in the
briefing papers and the
accounts, do you think the
illustration is a reliable
(believable) piece of evidence
about what happened in Boston
on March 5, 1770? Explain.
2. How does the secondary source illustration you drew for task #1 compare to the primary
source illustrations? How are they the same? How are they different? Which of the primary
source illustrations do you think is most accurate? Why?
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What do you think so far?
1. Given the information provided in this packet (background briefing and illustrations), do you
think the British soldiers were guilty of murdering colonists in Boston on the night of March 5,
1770, or was this a case of self-defense?
Support your answer by identifying what information and evidence you have found, up to this
point, most convincing and why? And what information and evidence you found least
convincing and why?
2. What other information would be most useful to you if you were to make a more informed
judgment on the guilt of the soldiers? What else do you want to know?
3. What questions do you have about the case? What is not clear?
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Boston Massacre Lesson Plan
7/8 Listening and Speaking (Comprehension and Collaboration)
1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7/8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’
ideas and expressing their own clearly.
2. Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its
presentation.
Observations
Questions
Inferences
Author’s Message
Which should we trust more?
Why?
What questions do you have about this source?
What makes a reliable source
author. bias, time when created, where it’s found
Reason to use multiple pieces of evidence
massacre?
day 1
read
answer questions
draw picture
day 2
special objectives for the day (see standards)
images one and two (without sourcing info)
- observations/questions – chart
o independent, pair share, sticks, record on projector
- Venn diagram
o partner work
- Same partner conversation w/compare/contrast language
o brainstorm compare/contrast signal words
o sample starters on computer
- inferences
- message in response to question
o project scaffold, scaffold also in packet
Final Page KS
Revisit question
- When you use evidence want to make sure it’s reliable
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-
What more would you want to know about the primary sources to determine reliability, should you
trust
o respond to questions
o refer back to inferred message, does that match what you now know about the source of the
image
Rubric Focus: Origins of the documents are used to understand and analyze its meaning, perspective,
and reliability to strengthen arguments.
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