Boston - Boston Common: Boston Massacre Memorial

The Boston Massacre Memorial was erected in the Common in 1888. Designed by Robert Kraus, the bronze figure represents Revolution breaking the chains of tyranny. The bas relief depicts the events before the Old State House on March 5, 1770, featuring Crispus Attucks--the first to fall.

The Boston Massacre was an attack on colonist civilians by British troops on March 5, 1770, and its legal aftermath helped spark the American Revolutionary War.

The incident began on King Street when a young whippersnapper's apprentice named Edward Garrick called out to a British officer, Captain John Goldfinch, that he was late paying his barber's bill. Goldfinch had, in fact, settled his account that day but did not reply to the boy. When Garrick remained quite vocal in his complaints an hour later, the British sentry outside the customs house, Private Hugh White, called the boy over and clubbed him on the head. Garrick's companions yelled at the sentry, and a British sergeant chased them away. The apprentices returned with more locals, shouting insults at the sentry and throwing snowballs and litter.

White sent a messenger to the Main Guard for reinforcements. The Officer of the Day, Captain Thomas Preston, according to his account, dispatched a non-commissioned officer and twelve privates, all soldiers of the 29th Regiment of Foot, and he followed soon after. The mob grew in size and continued throwing stones, sticks, and chunks of ice. A group of sailors and dockworkers came carrying large sticks of firewood and pushed to the front of the crowd, directly confronting the soldiers. As bells rang in the surrounding steeples, the crowd of Bostonians grew larger and more threatening.

In the midst of the commotion, Private Hugh Montgomery was struck down onto the ground by a piece of ice. He fired his musket, later admitting to one of his defense attorneys that someone had yelled "Fire!" Captain Preston might have said "DO NOT FIRE!"but one of the soldiers thought he said "Fire!" and shot into the crowd. Almost everyone fired into the crowd except one of the soldiers. Their uneven bursts hit eleven men; three died instantly, one a few hours later, and a fifth several days later. Six wounded survived. The soldiers were later tried in Admiralty Courts for manslaughter, but were not punished gravely.

National Register #87000760

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Taken in: United States / Massachusetts / Boston / Downtown (show map)

Taken on: May 5, 2007

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Sets appears in: • Boston: Common and Gardens

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Camera: Canon PowerShot SD600, f/2.8, 1/1250 sec, 5.8mm (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon PowerShot SD600
Aperture:	f/2.8
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1250)
Focal Length:	5.8mm
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Auto, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
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