American History

Britain stationed troops in Boston to protect cargoes from India. A crowd gathered near the port. The British soldiers fired into the crowd, killing five people, including Crispus Attucks, a mulatto worker. John Adams, the defense attorney of the soldiers, described the incident as a rabble of troublemaking immigrants and slaves. Two of the soldiers were lightly punished. Six of them were acquitted. England removed the troops from Boston. From the point of view of the colonists, England was transforming itself into a tyrant, threatening the autonomy and prosperity of the colonies.

Samuel Drowne, a resident of Boston, standing at his own door in Cornhill, saw about 14 or 15 soldiers of the 29th regiment (who came from Murrays barrack). They were armed with naked cutlasses, swords or bayonets, others with clubs, fire shovels or tongs. The soldiers assaulted the townspeople who were armed with sticks and shovels. The soldiers went by the way of Cornhill, Crooked-lane and Royal-exchange lane into King Street. Samuel Drowne followed them. The angry crowd followed the soldiers. Some of them were armed with large sticks and to some extent spikes.

Most of the soldiers were gentlemen, standing together a little below the Town-house upon the Exchange. The people who followed the soldiers assaulted the residence. The officer ordered five soldiers to be on guard. A corporal warned the people to go away. Unable to convince the crowd to leave, the officer ordered the soldiers to disperse them. The soldiers went out of King-Street. By this time, about two hundred people stood upon the steps of the Exchange tavern, being the next house to the Custom-house. Captain Preston ordered the soldiers armed with firelocks to approach the west corner of the Custom-house. At that very instant, the people were dispersed at the sight of the soldiers. About twenty or thirty remained in King-Street. Those who remained were mostly sailors and other persons meanly dressed. They dared the soldiers to open fire. Drowne heard Captain Preston said, Damn your bloods Why dont you fire

The captain ordered the soldiers to fire indiscriminate to the crowd. The soldiers fired irregularly, pointing their guns variously in a part of a circle they stood. The soldiers kept firing as though there was no tomorrow. Drowne saw flashes of two guns fired from the Custom-house, one of which was out of a window of a chamber westward of the balcony. The other was from the balcony itself.

The guns were pointed to the crowd, as though it was preempted. The person who held the gun in a stooping posture withdrew himself into the house, having a handkerchief or cloth over his face. The dead and wounded lay in the street. At first, the soldiers did not allow the people to carry the dead. At last, perhaps having realized their cruelty, the soldiers permitted the people to carry the dead.