Boston Massacre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Boston Massacre |
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Engraving of the Massacre by Paul Revere
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| Location | Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British America |
| Date | March 5, 1770 |
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Attack type
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Shooting |
| Deaths | 5 |
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Non-fatal injuries
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6 |
| Perpetrators | British Army |
The Boston Massacre was a sad event where five regular people were shot and killed by British soldiers. This happened on March 5, 1770, in Boston, Massachusetts. At that time, Boston was a British colony.
The trouble started at night outside the Custom House. A British soldier named Hugh White hit a boy with his rifle after the boy said something mean about his officer. Soon, a crowd of angry people gathered. More British soldiers arrived to help protect Hugh White. The crowd began throwing snowballs, some with hard objects like clams inside them, at the soldiers.
As the crowd grew larger, things became very confusing. Someone in the crowd yelled "fire!" In the chaos, some of the soldiers shot into the crowd. Crispus Attucks, an African-American man, was one of the first people who died.
Contents
The Trial of the Soldiers
After the Boston Massacre, eight British soldiers went to court. Only two of them, Hugh Montgomery and Matthew Killroy, were found guilty of manslaughter, which means killing someone without planning to. Their punishment was to have their thumbs marked with a burn.
John Adams was the lawyer who defended the British soldiers. He knew many people would be upset with him for helping the soldiers. But he believed that everyone deserved a fair trial, no matter what. (John Adams later became the President of the United States.)
After the Massacre
Paul Revere, a man who worked with metals in Boston, made a famous picture. It was an engraving showing the British soldiers shooting into the crowd. Many people saw this picture and became very angry at the British.
Why the Massacre Was Important
Leading to the American Revolution
The Boston Massacre is seen as a very important event. It helped turn many colonists against King George III and the British government. John Adams later wrote that the "foundation of American independence was laid" on March 5, 1770.
People like Samuel Adams and other American leaders used yearly events, called "Massacre Day," to remind everyone about what happened. They wanted to encourage people to seek independence from Britain. Christopher Monk, a boy who was hurt in the attack and died years later, was remembered as a symbol of how harsh the British could be.
Other events, like the Boston Tea Party, also showed that the relationship between Britain and its colonies was breaking down. The Boston Massacre is often seen as a key moment that led to the American Revolutionary War, which was a fight for freedom.
Remembering the Victims
The massacre was remembered in 1858 by William Cooper Nell. He was a black abolitionist who wanted to show the important role of African Americans in the Revolutionary War. He highlighted the death of Crispus Attucks.
In 1888, the Boston Massacre Monument was built on the Boston Common. It honors the men who died in the massacre. The five victims were also reburied in a special grave at the Granary Burying Ground.
Today, the massacre is acted out every year on March 5. The Old State House, where the massacre happened, and the Granary Burying Ground are part of Boston's Freedom Trail. This trail connects many important places in the city's history.
Fun Facts About the Boston Massacre
- The British called the Boston Massacre by a different name: "The Incident on King Street."
- More than half of the people in Boston went to the funerals of the victims.
- The idea of "reasonable doubt" was first used in the trial of British Captain Preston. He was found not guilty of murder.
- Two British soldiers avoided the death penalty because they could read from the Bible.
- The two soldiers found guilty had their sentences reduced. They were branded on their thumbs with the letter M for "Manslaughter."
- Both sides used propaganda to try and make the other side look bad.
Related pages
Images for kids
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An 1868 picture by Alonzo Chappel showing a more chaotic scene.
See also
In Spanish: Masacre de Boston para niños
