The Boston "Massacre": Trouble In Paradise?

Let me catch you up to speed. People from Europe came to America for LOTS of different reasons.  Some came for political asylum, some for religious freedom, some tried to escape their mounting debts back home and some came for the fun of it.  Either way, as time passed and the colonies grew a certain "American Culture" began to develop.  All these different cultures, living thousands of miles from home and across an entire ocean, began to develop a new identity.  It's not that they considered themselves as "Americans".  They did, however, begin to identify with their home colony (i.e. "I'm a Virginian" etc.)  The confusing part is that while this new identity was being developed, the colonists were still fully recognized as British citizens.  That meant the King and Parliament (England's version of Congress) were still in control.  Some colonies had more self-government than others, but all answered ultimately to the Mother Country.

When the French/Indian War started, the colonists needed British troops help to defend their land.  This arrangement worked because England A) hated France and B) wanted to see their colonies survive so they could continue to make a profit off them.  So the war was fought and England won, and then the trouble started.  William Pitt, the British Prime Minister (their version of a president) began taxing the colonies more heavily than they were used to in order to pay off the debt racked up by the French and Indian War.  And who could blame him? England sent her troops across the ocean and paid for much of the war cost up front. You cannot blame them for wanting a return on their investment.  Plus, the colonies belonged to England in the first place, so what's the big deal?

The problem was the colonists had basically been left alone for many decades leading up to the war with France.  They had enjoyed the freedom this "salutary neglect" (fancy phrase :-) )  had brought.  Now they resented England playing a more active role in colonial affairs.  As the reins tightened, many colonists began to advocate more freedom.  It is important to note that the original requests from the colonists were not for independence.  That is a common misconception.  What the colonists wanted, at least in the early years after the F/I War, was their rights as British citizens to be recognized.  To be treated like they would be if they lived in England.  The cries for independence rang out only after their requests for equal rights were ignored.

All of that background leads us to this week's topic: The Boston Massacre.  In March of 1770 an unruly crowd of Bostonians were harassing a group of British soldiers who were guarding a local customs (tax) house.  Heated words were exchanged, the colonists threw sticks, stones and snow balls at the soldiers and shots were fired.  Five colonists were killed and the soldiers were put on trial.  Ironically, John Adams (the cousin of Samuel Adams who was probably the most radical leader of the Sons of Liberty) was hired to defend the British soldiers against their charges of murder.  Amazingly, Adams convinced the jury of the innocence of the soldiers and they were free to go.

First, read this story of the Boston Massacre from the perspective of the Captain of the British soldiers involved in this scuffle.  Then, look at this portrayal of the events by Bostonian silversmith Paul Revere.  Be sure to read the explanation as well as look at the image.  There should be an option at the bottom of the page to view Revere's image in an enlarged view.

Is there any difference in the way the same incident was portrayed by the two sides? If so, why do you think that is?  How could the same story be told two different ways?

Colonial Culture: What Life Used To Be Like

How about some lighter fare this week? We could all use a breather after the Middle Passage blog last week.

Check out the following sites on colonial culture.  In the comments section, write about life now versus then.  Which do you prefer?

Rules Of Being A Gentlemen

Colonial Music-Be sure to click on the links.  Take some time to explore this site.

Colonial Art-Notice not only the style but also the clothes portrayed in the portraits.  Be sure to read the article as well as looking at the pictures.

Colonial Games-After you view the games page, check out at least two of the other links on the left side of the page.

Enjoy!

The Middle Passage: The Anti-Cruise

Africans were enslaved by European nations, and ultimately the country of America, for various reasons.  Perhaps the most obvious was if you could force someone into labor and not pay them, you could keep all the profit to yourself.  Evil as it sounds, and horrific as it was, the system was profitable on many levels which sustained its growth.

One thing to keep in mind is many of the Africans sold into slavery were captured by their own people, locked in cages on the west coast and waited for a slave ship to dock in order to be transported to America, Brazil or some other location.  This journey across the Atlantic is known as the Middle Passage.  Many Africans died, or attempted suicide, during this voyage because they either knew what was coming and wanted to escape their fate, or they had no idea what was coming and never wanted to find out.  Many of them refused to eat in order to induce starvation, but the ship captains would pry their mouths open and force feed the slaves in order to keep them nourished.

Read this account of a young African's journey on the Middle Passage.  What are your reactions?  Is there anyway to excuse the behavior of people involved in trading slaves? (FYI: When the passage mentions "necessary tubs"...it means a bucket used as a toilet)

The Puritans in Massachusetts: Religious Nuts or Devout Disciples?

Welcome to the last blog of the first quarter.  Once again I'd like to say how much I appreciate the effort you all put into the comments each week.  It means a lot to me, as a teacher, to see you taking things so seriously. It does not go unnoticed.

We could spend the entire semester on the settling of the thirteen colonies, but we don't have that much time.  Each region, Southern, Middle and New England, was very distinct for political, religious and cultural reasons.  One of the most unique events in the colonial era occurred in the New England colony of Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Bay Colony (aka Massachusetts) was settled beginning in the 1630s by a religious group from Europe known as the Puritans.  These were men and women who were so dissatisfied by the state of religious affairs in England they thought it better to separate (which is why they were called Separatists) and start their own colony in America.  One of their earliest leaders, John Winthrop, wanted Massachusetts to be a "city upon a hill" for all the world to admire and imitate.

During the 1630s, over 20,000 people left England to join the Puritans in Massachusetts.  The colony continued to grow and thrive in the New World.

Puritans have acquired a bad reputation because of their strict adherence to the Bible.  The general stereotype of a Puritan is someone who never smiles or has any fun, always wears black, avoids all worldly pleasures, works all the time and when they are not working, they are reading the Bible or praying.  Basically, a real downer.

Part of this stereotype, like most stereotypes, comes from accurate aspects of the Puritan life that are merely exaggerated.  Visit this website for a description of Puritan beliefs.

Perhaps the biggest blunder in Puritan history is what has garnered much of the negative attention.  In the 1690s three women were suspected of "signing the Devil's compact", aka being witches.  Soon the accusations spread throughout the small town of Salem, Massachusetts until a court had to be established to determine who was and was not a witch.  If you denied being a witch but accused someone else of being a witch, it usually backfired because "it takes one to know one".  Eventually the wife of the Governor of Massachusetts was accused of witchcraft and the Governor put a stop to the proceedings. Must be nice to have power, huh?

When it was all said and done, about 20 people were hung for being witches.  Two dogs were condemned as well.  Watch this video and read this primary source to get a better understand of the events surrounding the Salem Witch Trials.  Use the comments section as a sounding board for your thoughts on this historical event.  What is the problem when everyone jumps on board with an idea, even if the idea is ridiculous?

*Remember, your comments are due by Friday this week because it is the last day of the quarter.  Also, since this blog counts as 100 points, your comments must be a minimum of 200 words this week.