The Boston Massacre. Probably should say “massacre” – with quotation marks – since “massacre” was a bit of a stretch – and used more for propaganda purposes. Same as Paul Revere’s famous engraving – which is pretty much how we, modern-day folks, see the Boston Massacre. It’s his image – kind of brilliant (below the fold) that sticks in our mind … the smoke from the guns, advancing redcoats, and the poor victimized colonists … who did NOTHING to provoke such a massacre. Naturally, the truth was a little bit more complex. The rebellious crowd had gathered after an altercation between one of them and a British soldier. The British soldiers brandished their weapons, but did not shoot. The crowd were throwing things at the British soldiers – mainly snowballs, and ice. Taunting them, etc. When the whole thing ended – 5 colonists lay dead.
The tale of this massacre spread throughout the land – naturally, it was in the colonists interests to keep the outrage alive, to pump it up, to fan the flames of resentment towards the British standing army in their midst.
One of the most important things about the Boston massacre is John Adams’ part in the aftermath of it. He, a lawyer in the area, defended the British soldiers. Nobody could accuse him of harboring sympathies for the British crown – although, of course, that was what he was accused of. And whatever he may have thought about the soldiers, he did think they deserved a defense. And whatever this new entity would be … whatever this new nation would be, if they ever freed themselves from the British yoke – Adams was committed to the idea that it would be a nation “of laws, not men”.
Laws above men. It is the principle of the thing. (It reminds me of the great story of Alexander Hamilton lambasting the unruly crowds clamoring to attack the pro-British president of King’s College. He was just a student at that time, and although he was on his way to being a full-time revolutionary – any mob like that terrified and angered him. He stood on the steps of the college and made a fiery speech about liberty that people talked about later – it was remembered. Pretty amazing.) The detachment of these gentlemen. Principled detachment.
Below the fold find Paul Revere’s stirring engraving – propaganda, basically – very successful propaganda. Love it.
Great post, Sheila. It sure makes me long for some principled detachment – I’m not picky, I’ll take it from anyone!
My 9 year old son is studying the Revolutionary War in school now. He just asked me if I would have been a loyalist or a patriot. After thinking a bit, I told him that I actually might be a Tory, which shocked him. Much like Mel Gibson’s character in The Patriot, I think I’d be a reluctant patriot.
I’d have a lot to lose if the war went badly, and despite my military service, I don’t know if I would have been brave enough to risk all like Adams, Jefferson, Washington etc. for that freedom.
I WOULD like to think that I could stand up against mob influence and defend those British soldiers that were tried for the Boston “massacre”
“For Revolution junkies, spotting the cameos makes an awfully good parlor game.”
You’re speakin’ my language, bub. Review of the John Adams miniseries. It’s gotten me quite excited, despite the Linney factor. I’m already junkie enough to be tremendously pleased (in an inappropriate proprietary way) that the miniseries starts off wi…