The Boston Massacre

Tell what happened in 1770, name Crispus Attucks, and see how each side told it differently.

Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.

What children learn in Level 13

Britain sent soldiers to Boston to keep order, and many people there hated having them. Tempers ran high for months.
On the cold night of March 5, 1770, a crowd gathered around a few soldiers. People shouted and threw snowballs and ice. In the confusion, the soldiers fired.
Five colonists died. One of the first was Crispus Attucks, a sailor of African and American Indian descent. Attucks is remembered as one of the first to die in the fight for American freedom.
Patriots called it a massacre. Paul Revere made a famous picture showing soldiers firing on a calm crowd. It wasn't quite what happened, but it spread anger through the colonies.
The soldiers had a trial. Their lawyer was John Adams, a Patriot, who believed everyone deserved a fair trial. Most of the soldiers were found not guilty. Historians compare sources like these to find what really happened.

Georgia Standards of Excellence in Social Studies:

SS4H1.a — Trace the events that shaped the revolutionary movement in America: French and Indian War, 1765 Stamp Act, the slogan "no taxation without representation," the activities of the Sons of Liberty, the activities of the Daughters of Liberty, Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party.
IPS.4 — Information Processing Skill 4: distinguish between fact and opinion (already mastered; apply and improve)
IPS.6 — Information Processing Skill 6: identify and use primary and secondary sources (mastered in Grade 4)