Focus: Boston Massacre

Did British soldiers mercilessly and indiscriminately shoot unarmed civilians, or were the soldiers merely protecting themselves? Why were British troops in Boston in the first place? What led to the fatal confrontation between soldiers and civilians? What happened to the soldiers who fired upon the civilians? Students will learn the answers to these questions and more when they explore this unique collection of historical documents. Included are Paul Revere engravings, a broadside urging colonists to boycott an importer of British goods, inflammatory patriot newspaper articles and broadsides, and excerpts from the deposition of Captain Thomas Preston, who was the leader of the detachment of British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre. Support Materials: * Illustrated Broadsheet Essay * Timeline * Critical Thinking Questions with Response Key * Recommended Reading List 8 Primary Source Documents: * Paul Revere engraving showing the landing of British troops at Boston, 1768 * Broadside urging colonists to boycott an importer of British goods, 1770 * Paul Revere engraving of the "The Bloody Massacre," 1770 * Broadside relating a pro-American account of the Massacre, 1770 * Transcribed excerpts from the deposition of Captain Thomas Preston, March 1770 * Broadside commemorating Massacre victims, 1770 * Boston-Gazette article commemorating the first anniversary of the Massacre, March 1771 * Two 19th-century depictions of the incident: "The Boston Massacre," 1868, and "The Death of Crispus Attucks" 1856