The Boston Massacre:
Self-Defence or Murder?

Task

Welcome... this is not an easy case. Hello detectives. Thank you so much for coming early. We have a lot of work ahead of us because this case is a tricky one. Last night there was some type of fight between the colonists here in Boston and the British soldiers that are stationed here. We're not sure what happened but all we know is that shots were fired and five colonists are dead. It is our job to solve this case and determine whether the British soldiers murdered the American colonists or whether the entire incident was self-defence?

Your task is to sort through all the evidence and decide whether the British soldiers were murderers or if it was self-defence. As you read and listen to the accounts as well as look at the art, please remember that the people and artists have bias, which means that they were on one side or the other. Their perception of the event might change what they see or they may even be willing to lie about the incident. Your job is to sort through all the evidence and try to determine the facts. The people of Boston are extremely angry right now and we want to make sure we do a good job of truly studying the evidence. As you find important information, write it appropriately in your detective notebook. Good luck... this might be the hardest case you will ever try to solve.