The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street, Boston on March 5th 1770 by a Party of the 29th Reg
3/1770
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This is a copy of Paul Revere’s engraving of the Boston Massacre showing his depiction of events – British soldiers firing at Americans. The engraving was published three weeks after the "massacre" and includes a poem Revere likely wrote.
Transcript
Unhappy Boston! see thy Sons deploreThy hallow’d walks besmear’d with guiltless gore
While faithless P____n and his savage bands
With murd'rous rancour stretch their bloody hands
Like fierce barbarians grinning o’er their prey
Approve the carnage and enjoy the day.
If scalding drops from rage, from anguish wrung
If speechless sorrow, lab’ring for a tongue
Or if a weeping world can ought appease
The plaintive ghosts of victims such as these
The patriot’s copious tears for each are shed
A glorious tribute which embalms the dead.
But know, Fate summons to that awful goal
Where Justice strips the murd’rer of his soul,
Should venal C___ts, the scandal of the land,
Snatch the relentless villain from her Hand
Keen execrations on this plate inscrib’d
Shall reach a Judge who never can be brib’d.
The unhappy sufferers were Mesr’s Sam’l Gray, Sam’l Maverick, James Caldwell Crispus Attucks, & Patr. Carr Killed Six wounded; two of them (Christ’r Monk & John Clark) mortally.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer.
National Archives Identifier: 530966
Full Citation: Photograph 111-SC-92632; The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street, Boston on March 5th 1770 by a Party of the 29th Reg; 3/1770; Photographs of American Military Activities, ca. 1918 - ca. 1981; Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, Record Group 111; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/bloody-massacre-king-street, April 17, 2025]Activities that use this document
- Comparing Depictions of the Boston Massacre
Created by the National Archives Education Team
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