During his oration on 5 March 1774, John Hancock expressed his deep sadness and called for a powerful indignation towards the brutal story of death. This powerful speech was delivered as he recounted the events of the “Boston Massacre”. While this event didn’t involve a large number of people being killed, it was still referred to as a massacre because it symbolized the intolerable authority of the British government. The following eighteen months witnessed escalating tensions between the Colonists and the British. In February 1770, a cold morning saw eleven-year-old Christopher Seider joining a crowd of adults and youths outside Ebenezer Richardson’s house. Richardson was known to be an informant for the British customs commissioners and was targeted during these common mob demonstrations against the Townshend Acts. As violence escalated, Richardson attempted to defend his property by wielding an empty musket through a broken window. The sight of the musket only fueled the anger of the crowd, leading them to break down Richardson’s front door. In response, Richardson loaded and fired his musket into the crowd, tragically killing Seider who passed away that evening. Just four days after Seider’s funeral, Thomas Walker, a British soldier from the 29th Regiment, inquired about job opportunities at John Gray’s Ropewalk. It was not unusual for British soldiers to work extra hours to supplement their income while off duty.William Green, a ropemaker, instructed Walker to clean the outhouse, resulting in a fistfight between the two individuals.
Walker suffered severe injuries and, seizing an opportunity, rallied his British comrades into the battle. The soldiers were once again overwhelmed. The altercation resulted in a few minor injuries for both sides. On Monday 5 March 1770, Private Hugh White from the 29th Regiment was on guard duty at the sentry box near the Custom House on King Street. Given that the Custom House safeguarded the King’s taxes and gold, this duty posed a heightened risk for the British. Captain Goldfinch, an officer from the same regiment, was being provoked by citizens who accused him of not paying his debts to local merchants. Private White, recovering from the previous night’s skirmish, was determined to protect Captain Goldfinch from the troublemakers. In response to the insults, Private White struck a teenager named Edward Garrick with the butt of his rifle. Over fifty townspeople soon gathered and challenged both White and Goldfinch to a fight. As the crowd grew larger, the British soldiers realized that the situation was on the verge of exploding. The only official account of the events on the fifth of March 1770 is from Captain Thomas Preston, who was Officer of the Guard. He heard that a crowd had formed in front of the Custom Hose and that the guards were calling for assistance.Preston recounted the incident, stating that he quickly went to the Custom House and organized his men in order to protect the guards and prevent any damage to the guard post. The captain and his men used bayonets to push the crowd away from the post. Despite his attempts to lead his men back to the safety of their barracks, the crowd obstructed them. Supporters of the Tory party urged the soldiers to fire their weapons, creating a chaotic atmosphere.
Preston attempted to disperse the crowd, despite the cat calls of “Fire and be damned” being shouted at the British soldiers. At the same time, Captain Preston was instructing his soldiers not to fire. The situation escalated when a stick thrown from the crowd struck Private Montgomery in the face, provoking him to angrily level his musket and fire into the crowd. There was a brief moment of silence before the crowd surged forward towards the soldiers. The duration of the firing remains uncertain, with eyewitnesses stating anywhere from 15 seconds to twenty minutes. Private Kilroy targeted Edward Langford and fired his weapon, causing Langford to fall with his hands still in his pockets. A black man named Cripus Attuck was fatally shot in the chest and head, while other colonists killed in the volley of fire were Patrick Carr, Samuel Maverick, and James Caldwell. In the aftermath, Captain Preston and six of his men faced trial, defended by John Adams and Robert Auchmuty. Captain Preston and four soldiers were acquitted, but Privates Kilroy and Montgomery were found guilty of manslaughter and returned to England. The events of March 5, 1770 were later exaggerated by revolutionaries like Paul Revere and Samuel Adams, fueling the discontent among colonists towards England. News of the skirmish quickly spread and served as a catalyst for severing ties with England.The Boston Massacre marked the initial phase towards the unavoidable American Revolutionary war, leading to the colonists’ eventual independence from Britain. Unbeknownst to these adversaries, their actions played a crucial role in laying the foundation of the world’s greatest nation.
