On the Boston Massacre

Engraved, printed, and sold by Paul Revere within a month of the Boston Massacre, Revere uses the Boston Massacre as a form of Patriot propaganda against the British. The British "lobsterbacks" are depicted firing into the helpless Boston crowd; in contrast, Ramsay paints a more nuanced portrait of the event, labeling both sides as the aggressors.

Interpretations of the Boston Massacre

Contemporary accounts of the Boston Massacre, particularly from American sources, were incredibly hyperbolic. The supposed "balanced" reports of the event were used as propaganda for the Patriot cause:

“Tuesday morning presented a most shocking scene, with the blood of our fellow citizens running like water thro’ King Street" Boston Gazette, published six days after the massacre

“Language is too feeble to paint the emotions of our souls, when our streets were stained with the blood of our brethren; when our ears were wounded by the groans of the dying, and our eyes were tormented with the sight of the mangled bodies of the dead.” Joseph Warren

Paul Revere detailed the British soldiers as "fierce barbarians grinning o'er their prey"

Ramsay and the Massacre

In contrast to widely published accounts of the events, Ramsay lends ink to both sides of the confrontation. Ramsay describes the massacre as follows:

"The soldiers, when under arms, were pressed upon, insulted and pelted by a mob armed with clubs, sticks, and snowballs covering stones. They were also dared to fire."
"Three of the inhabitants were killed, and five were dangerously wounded. The town was immediately in commotion."
"It appeared on the trial, that the soldiers were abused, insulted, threatened, and pelted, before they fired."

Ramsay describes the colonists as equally culpable, remarking that the Bostonians attacked the soldiers with "clubs" and "sticks". Ramsay also credits John Adams and Josiah Quincy for defending the soldiers and the importance of a fair trial; Adams and Quincy's choice to defend the soldiers was otherwise met with wide criticism by the Patriot factions.

Below are thumbnails of the two pages describing the massacre from The History of the American Revolution, Vol. 1. The thumbnails contain links to full resolution images.

David Ramsay's description of the Boston Massacre (begins on the third paragraph).

Ramsay's description of the Boston Massacre continues at the top half of page 91.