Unit 2 Exam
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Read two different accounts of the Boston Massacre, 1770 (documents attached), and examine the image (located below). In a short essay, answer the
questions listed below.
Part 1 Questions: Using the documents, the image, and the textbook, write a short essay (minimum 200 words) answering the following questions:
1. What are the primary differences in how each author described this event?
2. Why do you think each author chose to describe the event in that way?
3. What elements of the image below reinforce the account from document 1?
4. How do you think this imagery affected Bostonians and other American colonists? Why?
Image: Engraved by Paul Paul Revere and titled, “A Bloody Massacre.”
Part 2 (40 points)
For part 2 of the Unit 2 Exam, choose ONLY 1 essay question from the list below, which covers chapters 5 and 6 in the textbook. Grades will be based on
the content of the answer and must be more than 300 words in length. Direct quotes do not count toward the required word count.
Part 2 Essay Questions
1 – What problems did the British government face after the Seven Years’ War, and what solutions did it propose? How reasonable were London’s
solutions, and in what ways did the colonists view them as an attack on their liberty?
2 – Revolution is a dynamic process with consequences no one can anticipate. Explain the initial goals of the colonists in 1765 at the time of the
Stamp Act and the evolution of their ultimate decision to declare independence in 1776.
3 – Many students believe that the Revolutionary War was a short and relatively painless war. However, for Americans, only the Vietnam War lasted
longer than the Revolutionary War. In a thoughtful essay, describe why the war was so lengthy and what the costs involved were for the British and for
the Americans.
Unit 2 Exam: Part 2 (40 points)
For part 2 of the Unit 2 Exam, choose ONLY 1 essay question from the list below, which covers chapters 7 and 8 in the textbook. Grades will be based on
the content of the answer and must be more than 300 words in length. Direct quotes do not count toward the required word count.
Part 1 Essay Questions:
1 – Compare the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution. Which document did a better job of protecting liberties? Running a government? Explain
your answer with specific examples.
2 – Who became full-fledged members of the American political community under the U.S. Constitution? Fully explain what criteria were used and who was
excluded from membership.
3 – Explain the arguments of the Anti-Federalists. How did they define liberty and what role did they see government having in protecting that liberty?
4 – Under President Washington, Secretary of War Henry Knox had hoped to pursue a more peaceful policy with the Indians. How did U.S. policy concerning
the Indians unfold in the 1790s?
5 – In what ways can Thomas Jefferson’s presidency be considered a revolution? Did his presidency deliver an Empire of Liberty as he envisioned? Why or
why not?
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Document
Boston Massacre Article
This article from the March 12, 1770 edition of the Boston Gazette recounted the events of the previous week that would come to be known as the Boston
Massacre. As you read the account, determine to which side the newspaper seemed most sympathetic. What details does the article expand on? What other
aspects of the story does the article seem to touch upon only lightly? Were these British soldiers involved in a premeditated massacre of unarmed
innocents, as some colonists later insisted, or were they instead caught up in a long and free-floating melee with local thugs that spiraled out of
control? What more fundamental tensions between the British soldiers and the local citizens might have accounted for this tragic outburst of violence?
A few minutes after nine o’clock four youths, named Edward Archbald, William Merchant, Francis Archbald, and John Leech, jun., came down Cornhill
together, and separating at Doctor Loring’s corner, the two former were passing the narrow alley leading Mr. Murray’s barrack in which was a soldier
brandishing a broad sword of an uncommon size against the walls, out of which he struck fire plentifully. A person of mean countenance. armed with a
large cudgel bore him company. Edward Archbald admonished Mr. Merchant to take care of the sword, on which the soldier turned round and struck Archbald
on the arm, then pushed at Merchant and pierced through his clothes inside the arm close to the armpit and grazed the skin. Merchant then struck the
soldier with a short stick he had; and the other person ran to the barrack and brought with him two soldiers, one armed with a pair of tongs, the other
with a shovel. He with the tongs pursued Archbald back through the alley, collared and laid him over the head with the tongs. The noise brought people
together; and John Hicks, a young lad, coming up, knocked the soldier down but let him get up again; and more lads gathering, drove them back to the
barrack where the boys stood some time as it were to keep them in. In less than a minute ten or twelve of them came out with drawn cutlasses, clubs,
and bayonets and set upon the unarmed boys and young folk who stood them a little while but, finding the inequality of their equipment, dispersed. On
hearing the noise, one Samuel Atwood came up to see what was the matter; and entering the alley from dock square, heard the latter part of the combat;
and when the boys had dispersed he met the ten or twelve soldiers aforesaid rushing down the alley towards the square and asked them if they intended
to murder people? They answered Yes, by G-d, root and branch! With that one of them struck Mr. Atwood with a club which was repeated by another; and
being unarmed, he turned to go off and received a wound on the left shoulder which reached the bone and gave him much pain. Retreating a few steps, Mr.
Atwood met two officers and said, gentlemen, what is the matter They answered, you’ll see by and by. Immediately after, those heroes appeared in the
square, asking where were the boogers? where were the cowards? But notwithstanding their fierceness to naked men, one of them advanced towards a youth
who had a split of a raw stave in his hand and said, damn them, here is one of them. But the young man seeing a person near him with a drawn sword and
good cane ready to support him, held up his stave in defiance; and they quietly passed by him up the little alley by Mr. Silsby’s to King Street where
they attacked single and unarmed persons till they raised much clamour, and then turned down Cornhill Street, insulting all they met in like manner and
pursuing some to their very doors. Thirty or forty persons, mostly lads, being by this means gathered in King Street, Capt. Preston with a party of men
with charged bayonets, came from the main guard to the commissioner’s house, the soldiers pushing their bayonets, crying, make way! They took place by
the custom house and, continuing to push to drive the people off pricked some in several places, on which they were clamorous and, it is said, threw
snow balls. On this, the Captain commanded them to fire; and more snow balls coming, he again said, damn you, fire, be the consequence what it will!
One soldier then fired, and a townsman with a cudgel struck him over the hands with such force that he dropped his firelock; and, rushing forward,
aimed a blow at the Captain’s head which grazed his hat and fell pretty heavy upon his arm. However, the soldiers continued the fire successively till
seven or eight or, as some say, eleven guns were discharged. By this fatal manoeuvre three men were laid dead on the spot and two more struggling for
life; but what showed a degree of cruelty unknown to British troops, at least since the house of Hanover has directed their operation, was an attempt
to fire upon or push with their bayonets the persons who undertook to remove the slain and wounded! Mr. Benjamin Leigh, now undertaker in the Delph
manufactory, came up and after some conversation with Capt. Preston relative to his conduct in this affair, advised him to draw off his men, with which
he complied. The dead are Mr. Samuel Gray, killed on the spot, the ball entering his head and beating off a large portion of his skull. A mulatto man
named Crispus Attucks, who was born in Framingham, but lately belonged to New-Providence and was here in order to go for North Carolina, also killed
instantly, two balls entering his breast, one of them in special goring the right lobe of the lungs and a great part of the liver most horribly. Mr.
James Caldwell, mate of Capt. Morton’s vessel, in like manner killed by two balls entering his back. Mr. Samuel Maverick, a promising youth of
seventeen years of age, son of the widow Maverick, and an apprentice to Mr. Greenwood, ivory-turner, mortally wounded; a ball went through his belly
and was cut out at his back. He died the next morning. A lad named Christopher Monk, about seventeen years of age, an apprentice to Mr. Walker,
shipwright, wounded; a ball entered his back about four inches above the left kidney near the spine and was cut out of the breast on the same side.
Apprehended he will die. A lad named John Clark, about seventeen years of age, whose parents live at Medford, and an apprentice to Capt. Samuel Howard
of this town, wounded; a ball entered just above his groin and came out at his hip on the opposite side. Apprehended he will die. Mr. Edward Payne of
this town, merchant, standing at his entry door received a ball in his arm which shattered some of the bones. Mr. John Green, tailor, coming up
Leverett’s Lane, received a ball just under his hip and lodged in the under part of his thigh, which was extracted. Mr. Robert Patterson, a seafaring
man, who was the person that had his trousers shot through in Richardson ‘s affair, wounded; a ball went through his right arm, and he suffered a great
loss of blood. Mr. Patrick Carr, about thirty years of age, who worked with Mr. Field, leather breeches-maker in Queen Street, wounded; a ball entered
near his hip and went out at his side. A lad named David Parker, an apprentice to Mr. Eddy, the wheelwright, wounded; a ball entered his thig
The Boston Massacre, 1770
The British Perspective Captain Thomas Preston was commander of the British squad that evening. He, along with the other members of the squad, was
tried for murder in a Boston Court. In the following trial testimony, Captain Peterson describes the events of that evening. On Monday night about 8
o’clock two soldiers were attacked and beat. But the party of the townspeople in order to carry matters to the utmost length, broke into two meeting
houses and rang the alarm bells, which I supposed was for fire as usual, but was soon undeceived. About 9 some of the guard came to and informed me the
town inhabitants were assembling to attack the troops, and that the bells were ringing as the signal for that purpose and not for fire, and the beacon
intended to be fired to bring in the distant people of the country. This, as I was captain of the day, occasioned my repairing immediately to the main
guard. In my way there I saw the people in great commotion, and heard them use the most cruel and horrid threats against the troops. In a few minutes
after I reached the guard, about 100 people passed it, and went towards the custom house where the King’s money is lodged. They immediately surrounded
the sentry posted there, and with clubs and other weapons threatened to execute their vengeance on him. I was soon informed by a townsman their
intention was to carry off the soldier from his post and probably murder him: on which I desired him to return for further intelligence, and he soon
came back and assured me he heard the mob declare they would murder him. This I feared might be a prelude to their plundering the King’s chest. I
immediately sent a non-commissioned officer and 12 men to protect both the sentry and the King’s money, and very soon followed myself to prevent, if
possible, all disorder, fearing lest the officer and soldiers, by the insults and provocations of the rioters, should be thrown off their guard and
commit some rash act. They soon rushed through the people, and by charging their bayonets in half-circles, kept them at a little distance. Nay, so far
was I from intending the death of any person that I suffered the troops to go to the spot where the unhappy affair took place without any loading in
their pieces; nor did I ever give orders for loading them. This remiss conduct in me perhaps merits censure; yet it is evidence, resulting from the
nature of things, which is the best and surest that can be offered, that my intention was not to act offensively, but the contrary part, and that not
without compulsion. The mob still increased and were more outrageous, striking their clubs or bludgeons one against another, and calling out, ‘Come on
you rascals, you bloody backs, you lobster scoundrels, fire if you dare, G-d damn you, fire and be damned, we know you dare not,’ and much more such
language was used. At this time I was between the soldiers and the mob, parleying with, and endeavoring all in my power to persuade them to retire
peaceably, but to no purpose. They advanced to the points of the bayonets, struck some of them and even the muzzles of the pieces, and seemed to be
endeavoring to close with the soldiers. On which some well behaved persons asked me if the guns were charged. I replied yes. They then asked me if I
intended to order the men to fire. I answered no, by no means, observing to them that I was advanced before the muzzles of the men’s pieces, and must
fall a sacrifice if they fired; that the soldiers were upon the half cock and charged bayonets, and my giving the word fire under those circumstances
would prove me to be no officer. While I was thus speaking, one of the soldiers having received a severe blow with a stick, stepped a little on one
side and instantly fired, on which turning to and asking him why he fired without orders, I was struck with a club on my arm, which for some time
deprived me of the use of it, which blow had it been placed on my head most probably would have de-stroyed me. On this a general attack was made on the
men by a great number of heavy clubs and snowballs being thrown at them, by which all our lives were in imminent danger, some persons at the same time
from behind calling out, ‘damn your bloods-why don’t you fire.’ Instantly three or four of the soldiers fired, one after another, and directly after
three more in the same confusion and hurry. The mob then ran away, except three unhappy men who instantly expired, ; . . one more is since dead, three
others are dangerously, and four slightly wounded. The whole of this melancholy affair was transacted in almost 20 minutes. On my asking the soldiers
why they fired without orders, they said they heard the word fire and supposed it came from me. This might be the case as many of the mob called out
fire, fire, but I assured the men that I gave no such order; that my words were, don’t fire, stop your firing. In short, it was scarcely possible for
the soldiers to know who said fire, or don’t fire, or stop your firing. On the people’s assembling again to take away the dead bodies, the soldiers
supposing them coming to attack them, were making ready to fire again, which I pre-vented by striking up their firelocks with my hand. Immediately
after a townsman came and told me that 4 or 5000 people were assembled in the next street, and had sworn to take my life with every man’s with me. On
which I judged it unsafe to remain there any longer, and therefore sent the party and sentry to the main guard, where the street is narrow and short,
there telling them off into street firings, divided and planted them at each end of the street to secure their rear, momently expecting an attack, as
there was a constant cry of the inhabitants ‘to arms, to arms, turn out with your guns;’ and the town drums beating to arms, I ordered my drums to beat
to arms, and being soon after joined by the different companies of the 29th regiment, I formed them as the guard into street firings. References: This
eyewitness account appears in: Charles-Edwards, T. and B. Richardson, They Saw it Happen, An Anthology of Eyewitness’s Accounts of Events in British
History 1689-1897 (1958); Hansen, Harry, The Boston Massacre; an episode of dissent and violence (1970). How To Cite This Article: “The Boston
Massacre, The British View, 1770,” EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2009).
