Solutions to Address Controversies of the Boston Massacre of 1770 - Essay Example

In his statements, Preston occurred to express a balanced perspective upon a factual admission that the soldiers “soon rushed through the people, and by charging their bayonets in half-circles, kept them at a little distance” while he avoided any subjective sentiment which might be necessary as the captain further testified that the boisterous crowd threatened them with increasing riots and exclamations of insulting phrases from the civilians.

Pictures of the ‘Boston Massacre’, however, exhibit an opposing view presenting how armed soldiers line up as if due to a deliberate scheme of firing at the townspeople in protest. A primary witness Theodore Bliss attested “I did not hear any order given by the captain to fire – I stood so near him I think I must have heard him if he had given an order to fire before the first firing.” On the contrary, another witness Robert Goddard claimed “I saw no person speak to him – I was so near I should have seen it – After the captain said ‘Damn your blood! Fire! – They all fired one after another.” These are quite contradictory statements indicating that one of them must be fabricating a story to conceal the real truth and save the side in his favor. This likely puts the credibility of such testimonies shown under question, granted that they depict uncertainties, emotional tone of accusation in exaggerating detail, and surprisingly missing information about logical links between occurrences told.

Based on the historical timeline demonstrating how one act led to another, the American Revolution was at its reasonable heights having originated from the imposition of additional taxes on common products by the British Parliament, pressing the colonists to struggle with their already burdened state of economy and standard of living at the time. Hence, the truth may seek its way to justice through it and Preston’s calm explanation of the matter that the captain can be judged to have truly not committed the crime with the shooting order. He ought not to be labeled as guilty of commanding to fire, nevertheless, he should still be held responsible for not attempting to suppress his subject troops from firing a series of shots.

According to the aforementioned depositions of firsthand witnesses Goddard and Bliss, sadly, it may be inferred that the American patriots did manipulate the Boston incident of 1770. In a way, the colonists may be justified and understood in the light of carrying out irrational means of fighting the British during this period since the heart of republicanism and the yearning for the United States to become an independent nation had come to profound depths of realization. Because the inhabitants were weak at perceiving alternatives and were perhaps thinking that imperial powers dominated to intimidate them with thoughts of British invasion via a militaristic approach, they got even by showing their capacity to cope with violence and employ uncivilized measures against the enemy. Read More