The Boston "Massacre"

Teacher Notes:

Introduction to Case:

In this case, students explore different perspectives and viewpoints on who was responsible for the Boston Massacre. Both text and image primary and secondary sources are offered as evidence for the students to consider. As they explore the evidence, the students work through the "detective's log" to help them analyze and chart findings from the evidence. In the end, they are asked to write a paragraph or two answering the following questions: Was just served in the trial of the Boston "Massacre"? Should the case be closed and the verdict upheld? Within your analysis, please indicate whether you were satisfied with the evidence and list any additional questions that have been left unanswered through your investigation.

From the trenches...

Case Study video coming soon...


Acknowledgements:

This exercise was inspired by an exercise in Bruce VanSledright’s book, In Search of America's Past: Learning to Read History in Elementary School.

Standards:

NCSS Theme II: Time, Continuity and Change
Focus on reading and reconstructing the past to:
1. include various perspectives on historical events;
2.draw upon historical knowledge during the examination of social issues;
3. develop the habits of mind that historians and schalors employ.

National Center for History in the Schools
Standard 2: Historical Comprehension
Standard 3: Historical Analysis and Interpretation
Standard 4: Historical Research Capabilities
Standard 5: Historical Issues-Analysis and Decision-Making

Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum Standards
Grade 8A1b: Evaluate the political and social issues and events that led to the American Revolution, such as the effects of British Colonial policy.

Virginia Standards of Learning
USI.6: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the causes and results of the American Revolution by:
a. identifying the issues of dissatisfaction that led to the American Revolution;
c. describing key events and the roles of key individuals...

Implementation Ideas:

This investigation can be conducted entirely online or offline, depending on your access to student computers. If you have the ability to project the images in the classroom, this may be preferable to photocopied print-outs, as the resolution and detail will be greater.

The full-text version of both of the testimonials is included in the case. You might, however, choose to copy and paste relevant portions of the testimony and distribute this to students if time or reading level is a concern.

You might also choose to include your textbook's description of the incident as another form of evidence in addition to those provided online.

You might choose to extend the assignment into a five paragraph essay and require students to consult additional history texts as they formulate their answers. You might also choose to divide the class into teams and debate the answer in class.

Word document of Case and documents

 

Becoming a Detective

In the fall of 1770, British Captain Thomas Preston and eight of his regulars were tried for the alleged murder of five Boston colonials. At the conclusion of the trial, Captain Preston and six of the eight soldiers were acquitted, with the remaining two soldiers found guilty of manslaughter. These two men were branded on their right thumbs and released.

At the request of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the case has been reopened to determine if justice was served in the case of the Boston "Massacre". As a member of the commission selected to review the case, your job is to examine the following documents to decide if the verdicts were fair, and if not, discuss whether the case should be reviewed and history rewritten.

Was justice served?
 
 
 

Investigating the Evidence

  • Document A: Joy Hakim's Account of The Boston Massacre (1993)| Word/PDF
  • Document B: Captain Thomas Preston's Account of the Boston Massacre (1770)| Word/PDF
  • Document C: Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre (1775)| Word/PDF
  • Document D: Boston Massacre, Mar. 5, 1770. Chromolithograph by John Bufford | PDF
  • Document E: The Boston Massacre Engraving after the painting by Alonzo Chappel, 1868 | PDF
  • Document F: The bloody massacre perpetrated in King Street, Boston, on Mar. 5, 1770. Engraving by Paul Revere, 1770. | PDF

 

Searching for Clues

Please answer the following questions about each document or download the formatted Case File (Word Format | PDF Format).

  1. Who authored the document? When was the document authored? What type of document is this? Who was the audience for the document? Why was it created? Who was the aggressor in the incident according to the document?
  2. What questions did you ask while evaluating these sources?
  3. On what points do the accounts agree?
  4. On what points do the accounts differ?
  5. Which of these sources aligns most closely with what you already knew about the Boston Massacre? How so?
  6. Which of these sources is most reliable in determining what actually happened at the Boston Massacre? Why do you think so?
  7. Describe the difficulties in developing an accurate account of historical events like the Boston Massacre?
  8. If you were asked to write your own historical account of the events in Boston, how would you go about doing so?

 
 

Cracking the Case

Based on your analysis of the six documents and citing evidence to support your answer, please write a paragraph or two answering the following questions: Was just served in the trial of the Boston "Massacre"? Should the case be closed and the verdict upheld? Within your analysis, please indicate whether you were satisfied with the evidence and list any additional questions that have been left unanswered through your investigation.