The Boston Massacre: A Historical Analysis

George Santayana, a Spanish American philosopher and novelist, argues, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat” ("George Santayana Quotes" 5). Despite the significance of history, modern society focuses more on the present and future rather than the past. However, history is crucial because it shapes people’s perspectives on present issues. The past gives society experience which can help solve current problems. Polybius, a Greek historian, proposed the theory of historic recurrence; this theory states that there is a repetitive pattern in history and that two specific events that take place at different times can be strikingly similar ("Polybius in Historical Explanation"). Several recurrences of past events can be caused …show more content…
The Boston Massacre shouldn’t have been called a massacre since only a total of five people killed in the event. The word “massacre” indicates the brutal slaughtering of a large numbers of people. The Boston Massacre was more like a riot than a massacre, but it was called a massacre by the use of propaganda. The Boston Massacre Historical Society clarifies that “Paul Revere wasted no time in capitalizing on the Massacre to highlight British tyranny and stir up anti-British sentiment among his fellow colonists. Revere 's historic engraving is long on political propaganda and short on accuracy or aesthetics” (Paul Revere 's Engraving 3). When Patriot printers put the story headlining a massacre, it rose more anger against the British. The radical people used propaganda from this minor event and exaggerated the truth for their benefit. Likewise, the Ferguson shooting was a propaganda blessing. The Ferguson shooting has become a symbol for the struggle against racism in America. Also, the shooting represents the urgent issue of police shooting rather than using non-lethal tools. Additionally, Paul Bois, professor in Media Management, elucidates, “The cover in Time shows a flurry of orange, fiery lights