The Boston Massacre – Play Questions

Patriot American colonist who favored American independence

Massacre A brutal slaughter of people done at random or without careful judgment

Revolution A forceful overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system

Question 2 What was the Boston Massacre? What happened? Write a short summary.

Boston Massacre Summary On March 5, 1770, violence erupted. A fight broke out between some Bostonians and soldiers. As British officers tried to calm the crowd, a man shouted, “We did not send for you. We will not have you here. We’ll be rid of you, we’ll drive you away!”

Boston Massacre Summary The angry townspeople surged forward. They began throwing sticks and stones at the soldiers. “Come on, you rascals, you bloody backs, you lobster scoundrels, fire, if you dare,” someone in the crowd shouted.

Boston Massacre Summary After one soldier was knocked down, the nervous redcoats did fire. They killed five colonists. Among the dead was Crispus Attucks, a dockworker who was part African, part Native American. One Bostonian cried: “Are the inhabitants to be knocked down in the streets? Are they to be murdered…?” The colonists called the tragic encounter “the Boston Massacre.”

Question 3 Why do you think the encounter between the colonists and the soldiers turned violent so quickly?

Answer Tensions were already high between the colonists and the British because of disagreements such as the Proclamation of 1763, the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, and the Townshend Act. In addition, taxes and smuggling added to the frustrations of both sides.

Question 4 Do you think the soldier’s punishment was fair for the crime? Justify your answer.

Question 5 If you were a jury member at the trial, what would your verdict have been? Innocent or guilty? Manslaughter or murder? Explain your answer.

Question 6 How do you think history would be different if the Boston Massacre never happened? Would the Revolutionary War still have started? Explain your answer.