The Boston Massacre, a tragic event that occurred on March 5, 1770, is widely known. Five individuals were shot and killed by British troops, with several others sustaining severe injuries. However, the event appears to possess a greater complexity than commonly believed. The night in question remains shrouded in uncertainty, due to varying accounts from different perspectives: some defending the soldiers who fired, while others justified the actions of the Boston citizens. Although the precise details of the incident may remain forever elusive, one fact remains certain: around eight o’clock, fire bells rang, calling people towards the customs house. According to Captain Preston, the commanding officer of the soldiers involved in the shooting, two soldiers were attacked by civilians at the customs house. However, according to the Boston Gazette and Country Journal, several Boston youths were attacked first, thereby instigating the incident. The number of individuals present at the customs house differs according to various sources.
According to William Wyatt and Theodore Bliss, approximately 100 people surrounded the Centinel at the customs house during the massacre hearing. However, Captain Preston claims that “Four or five thousand people were assembled in the next street.” With the exception of Henry Knox, who witnessed the event, most sources agree that the crowd threw snowballs at the Centinel. Knox states, “I did not see anything thrown at the Centinel.” All accounts acknowledge that the mob hurled insults at the guard. Captain Preston’s deposition reveals that upon learning of the attack on the Centinel, he “Sent a non-commissioned officer and 12 men to protect both the sentry and the king’s money.” Wyatt observed “An officer leading out 8 or 10 Men,” while Alexander Cruikshanks, a civilian who also provided testimony, recalls that “7 or 8 soldiers with Swords Bayonets and one with a large Tongs in his hand came.”
As the soldiers made their way through the crowd, their encounter with the Centinel became a topic of controversy. the conflicting accounts of Paul Revere’s etching and his court image add to the confusion. In the etching, the soldiers are depicted in a line, while the court image portrays them in a semicircle. According to Wyatt, Robert Goddard, and other sources, the mob hurled insults like “Come on you rascals!” and “Fire if you dare!” However, Captain Preston states that a well-behaved person asked him if the guns were loaded, to which he replied affirmatively. When asked if he intended to order the soldiers to fire, he replied negatively. Captain Preston reports that one of the soldiers was struck with a stick and immediately discharged his weapon. He explains, “On which turning to and asking him why he fired without orders, I was struck with a club on my arm.” Other sources such as the Boston Gazette and Goddard’s account claim that Captain Preston actually commanded the soldiers to fire. The consensus among most sources is that following the initial gunshot, between seven and eleven additional shots were fired. Both the Boston Gazette and Paul Revere’s court drawing agree that five people lost their lives in the incident.
Despite our incomplete knowledge of the exact truth of this tragedy, we have a general understanding of the events. Provoked soldiers stationed at the customs house called for reinforcements, leading to the formation of a mob around them. Subsequently, one soldier was hit with a club, prompting him to fire his weapon. This action sparked a chain reaction, with approximately seven to eleven guns being fired in succession. The result was the death of five individuals from these shots. While this outlines the fundamental concept of the massacre, there exists disagreement among historians regarding the initial instigation of violence.
