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What was it?
The Boston Massacre was the killing of five colonists by British regulars on March 5, 1770. -
How did it start?
A young wig makers apprentice exchanged insults with Private White, a British soldier, who left his post, challenged the boy, and struck him on the side of the head with his musket. -
Rocks were thrown.
Over fifty Bostonians pressed around White, led by a mixed-race runaway slave named Crispus Attucks, throwing objects at the sentry and challenging him to fire his weapon. -
White gets backup.
White, who had taken up a somewhat safer position on the steps of the Custom House, sought assistance with the help of Captain Thomas Preston. -
Backup arrives.
The soldiers Preston sent were Corporal William Wemms, Hugh Montgomery, John Carroll, William McCauley, William Warren and Matthew Kilroy. -
All hell breaks loose.
A thrown object struck Private Montgomery, knocking him down and causing him to drop his weapon. He recovered his musket, and was thought to shout "Damn you, fire!", then let it loose it into the crowd though no command was actually given. -
Instant deaths.
Three Americans, ropemaker Samuel Gray, mariner James Caldwell, and Crispus Attucks died instantly. -
What happened to the soldiers?
The Governer immediately began investigating the affair, and by morning, Preston and the eight soldiers had been arrested. -
Convicted!
On March 27 the eight soldiers, Captain Preston, and four civilians who were in the Customs House and were alleged to have fired shots, were all indicted for murder. -
How we remember it today.
The massacre is reenacted annually on March 5, under the auspices of the Bostonian Society. -
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Boston Massacre
