Massacre or Scapegoat
...tanders. (Dickson 35) Preston and his men quickly returned to their barracks, where they were placed under house arrest. They were later taken to jail and charged with murder. The Boston Massacre, an event that sparked the Revolutionary War, is a very contentious issue due to the arguable accounts of both the colonials and the British; although numerous accounts blame the British, the guilt belongs to the belligerent colonists. Many historians believe that there is fallacy among testimonies given by witnesses of the Boston Massacre. (Knollenberg 17) The facts are obscure, some evidence points toward British innocence and various accounts define a cold-blooded massacre. The Boston Massacre was really not a massacre in the sense that a lot of people were slaughtered; it was a massacre in the sense that British government’s authority was not to be tolerated. (Harry 177) As a result of the massacre, colonists more than ever, resented British soldiers or authority on American soil. But at the same time, the British viewed this event as colonial rebelling against British protection. Both parties viewed the other at fault and a trial was held acquitting the British. (Harry 178) The two sides of this controversial issue were very distinct and opposing. The British said that witnesses including Richard Palmes claimed they asked Captain Prescott if he intended to fire and he said no. The crowd was calling for the soldiers to fire. (Wheeler 192) Witnesses including James Woodall claimed they saw a stick thrown and hit a soldier, which prompted him to fire, quickly followed by several other soldiers. The defense said that the colonists did not hear Captain Prescott order his men to fire. William Wyatt claimed that Captain Prescott reprimanded his men for firing into the crowd and seized one of his soldier’s weapons. (Zobel 67) Because of the lack of evidence, it is not hard to see why the jury found Captain Prescott innocent. But the effect of this verdict was much greater than the Crown could ever have guessed. (Wheeler 194) The leaders of the rebellion were able to use it as proof of Britain's tyranny. For example, Paul Revere created a famous engraving that he entitled, "The Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King Street". (Wheeler 194) Britain was blamed heavily for this event which sparked the Revolutionary War. America’s testimonies were much different than those of the British; they accused Captain John Prescott and the British of cold-blooded murder on several accounts. The colonists had witnesses testifying that Prescott ordered his men to fire, that the soldiers were hitting and pushing with their muskets, that Prescott curse his men for not firing when ordered, and that the soldiers heard the order to fire and believed they were obeying his commands. (Dickson 56) Despite these opposing accusations, the colonists lost this case in the courtroom with an acquittal of six charges. (Dicks...