On March 5, 1770, a small group of people had started to provoke a British soldier. When he had called for help, seven other soldiers and Captain Thomas Preston had gone to the Custom House to protect him. Upon arriving, the small crowd had turned into a much larger, angrier, group of more than a hundred. The group had the soldiers surrounded, so it was almost impossible for them to retreat and any hope of calming the crowd down was lost. When one soldier started firing his musket, the others had followed suit. The colonists had dispersed, leaving five people dead and six wounded. The soldiers were kept under house arrest and later charged with murder. What had caused the soldiers and the crowd to act as they did? Was Thomas Preston guilty
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The soldier's guns were loaded but Preston had no intent on giving the order to fire. The soldiers had to have the guns loaded in order for the colonist to respect them. If they thought the guns were not loaded, the colonists would have done something atrocious to the soldiers a long time ago. Evidence #4 “Paul Revere's Engraving of the Boston Massacre” (98). In the illustration, the Custom House was called the Butcher's Hall which just so happens to be on the soldiers side. This represents the soldiers as murderers and not innocent people. Also, the soldiers look as though they were the ones who attacked the colonist even though they had no idea this were to happen. Evidence #3 Jane Whitehouse “A man came behind the Soldiers… He did not look like an officer”(95). A man was seen walking behind the soldiers and giving the order to fire. Upon hearing this, the soldiers could have confused it with Preston and fired. This man could have been who the witnesses had seen and heard. Evidence #3 Daniel Cornwall “I was looking at him… I now believe it” (95). On the night of the massacre, this man had seen Preston and he never said any order but do not fire. If Preston had said fire, why would he go back on what he said and say o not
The soldier's guns were loaded but Preston had no intent on giving the order to fire. The soldiers had to have the guns loaded in order for the colonist to respect them. If they thought the guns were not loaded, the colonists would have done something atrocious to the soldiers a long time ago. Evidence #4 “Paul Revere's Engraving of the Boston Massacre” (98). In the illustration, the Custom House was called the Butcher's Hall which just so happens to be on the soldiers side. This represents the soldiers as murderers and not innocent people. Also, the soldiers look as though they were the ones who attacked the colonist even though they had no idea this were to happen. Evidence #3 Jane Whitehouse “A man came behind the Soldiers… He did not look like an officer”(95). A man was seen walking behind the soldiers and giving the order to fire. Upon hearing this, the soldiers could have confused it with Preston and fired. This man could have been who the witnesses had seen and heard. Evidence #3 Daniel Cornwall “I was looking at him… I now believe it” (95). On the night of the massacre, this man had seen Preston and he never said any order but do not fire. If Preston had said fire, why would he go back on what he said and say o not