These two sources are about the Boston Massacre, which was one of the events leading up to the American Revolution.

Question

Use the sources to answer the two questions below - use the sentence starters if you need help.

Source 1: An engraving made by Paul Revere, a member of the Sons of Liberty who was against British Rule.



Source 2: A secondary source summary of what took place during the conflict.

"On March 5, 1770, a crowd of Boston boys and men surrounded a number of British soldiers and began taunting and cursing them while they pelted them with snowballs. Order quickly broke down, and the frightened soldiers fired into the crowd. When the shooting ended, several people were dead and more were wounded. This engraving by Paul Revere, a leader of the Boston Sons of Liberty, was sent throughout the Colonies in the following weeks to arouse anti-British feelings.

Paul Revere was advertising his prints (see the image above) for sale in the Boston newspapers, three weeks after the occurrence March 5, 1770. Revere's historic engraving is propaganda rather than historical fact. Patriotic propaganda as seen here, called the incident a massacre to stir up feelings against the British government. He did this so more people would fight for independence."



SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:

How does the engraving (Source 1) tell a different story from the above description of the Boston Massacre (Source 2)?

Why did Paul Revere call the incident in Boston a “massacre”? What was the purpose of using the word “massacre” instead of conflict or incident? (refer to Source 2)



Sentence Starters

Source 1 shows…

This is different from Source 2, which shows…

In comparison, the two sources….


Paul Revere used the word massacre because…

The purpose of using this language was…

Answer 1

How does the engraving (Source 1) tell a different story from the above description of the Boston Massacre (Source 2)?

Source 1 shows a dramatic and intense image of the Boston Massacre, likely depicting British soldiers firing into a crowd of unarmed colonists. This visual representation emphasizes the violence and oppression faced by the colonists. This is different from Source 2, which shows a more detailed account of events leading up to the shooting, describing how the crowd was taunting the soldiers and throwing snowballs. In comparison, the two sources convey different narratives: Source 1 focuses on the brutality of the actions of the British soldiers, while Source 2 presents a chronological account of the incident, suggesting there was provocation from the crowd.

Why did Paul Revere call the incident in Boston a “massacre”? What was the purpose of using the word “massacre” instead of conflict or incident? (refer to Source 2)

Paul Revere used the word massacre because it evokes strong emotional reactions by portraying the event as a deliberate attack on innocent lives. The purpose of using this language was to stir up anti-British sentiments among the colonists and rally support for the independence movement. By labeling the event as a "massacre," Revere aimed to frame the British soldiers as brutal oppressors, thereby mobilizing more people to join the cause against British rule.